Time Is Running Out
by Chaos' Ace
Summary: Sakura is a girl who exists in the year 2012 and leads a difficult life. She finds a book and when she opens it; she is taken to a mysterious cave. There, she meets a man called Sasuke Uchiha who proclaims himself as the beginning of time. She is tasked by him with a mission; to complete the book. And when the book of time is finally filled, Chaos will rise again.
1. Chaos

**Hi!**

**My first story after 'The Dream Eater'. I really hope this is as popular as my last story. It's so cold in Hong Kong, like 14 degrees. Finished school yesterday and I was woken up early to help my mother with the shopping. Why do I need to help? I'm not the one who wants a Christmas Party!**

**Credits:  
Bianca K: For proofreading.**

**Disclaimer:  
I do not own Naruto.**

**Location:  
Japan, 2012**

**Summary:  
Sakura is a girl who exists in the year 2012 and leads a difficult life. She finds a book and when she opens it; she is taken to a mysterious cave. There, she meets a man called Sasuke Uchiha who proclaims himself as the beginning of time. She is tasked by him with a mission; to complete the book. And when the book of time is finally filled, Chaos will rise again.**

_**Thoughts**_

* * *

Time Is Running Out: Pilot: Chaos

_**Who am I?**_

_**I am no one. There is no need for my name because I am unneeded. Why else would my parents leave me without a single memento? But it's okay, I've survived, I'm seventeen now. I don't have a home nor do I have a job to support myself. There used to be this lady who kindly gave me money when I helped carry her shopping but she's dead now. I think I was sad when she died, I can't really remember. Every day is a challenge for me, especially during the winter.**_

It was snowing in Tokyo right now. People were bustling about, preparing for Christmas. She smiled bitterly. _**I've come to hate people who have privileges. I especially detest people who are spoiled and don't know how lucky they are. **_Once, there was a spoilt brat of a girl who was crying because her mother wouldn't buy her a Barbie. The rosette was walking by when she heard screaming and begging.

"But I want it!"

"Honey, you have so many toys already. Why don't you play with them?"

"But I want _this _one! I want it!"

A snort quietly escaped the rosette; her fingers were twitching—begging to wring that little girl's neck. _**It's always 'I want this' and 'I want that'. People have no sense of morality, its always wanting things. If they had to live the life I live, they wouldn't be so ignorant. Sometimes, I feel guilty about wanting everybody to be like me but there's always someone who changes those thoughts.**_

She stalked through the streets, pulling her thin jacket around her. It was freezing and she was only wearing a tank top, leggings and an extremely thin jacket. The shoes she wore were worn out and ready to break. Her long pink hair was in the front, over her shoulders. The girl had put it there for she had no scarf. _**I hate my hair, who has pink hair?**_ People stared and people gossiped. It ranged from all the way from dyeing it to having a red-haired mother who did it with a white-haired man. She had snapped once. There was a bunch of girls who were gossiping not so inconspicuously. _**There were fucking loud and I got really annoyed. **_The _leader _kept saying how much on a whore she was even though she was still a virgin. Then she really snapped when she insulted her hair color. _**I may not like the color but I really hate it when other people say it. **_So she waited.

The young woman waited until they disbanded and followed the leader. She was walking through an ally, nervously glancing at the walls. She smirked; it seemed that the girl wasn't so stupid after all. However, years of practice left her ignorant to the rosette following her. The rosette__was stealthy and wasn't surprised when the girl jumped as a knife was placed against her throat from behind. A cruel grin formed on the rosette's face as she added pressure to the knife and a red line appeared on the girl's neck. _**She has no idea it's me does she? **_She kept whimpering and tears were running down her face. Emerald eyes rolled in disgust, "Not so cocky are we now?"

The rosette almost laughed when the victim looked through the peripheral vision, "You..." she whispered when she recognized the pink hair. Emerald orbs stared straight back at her before her smirk widened. The victim's eyes mirrored my smirk and she fell forwards. The rosette didn't bother to catch her as she fell. _**She won't remember anything and even if she did, she would have no proof.**_

A sigh escaped her lips as placed her knife back into the sheath which was attached to her arm. It wasn't any ordinary device. She had created the mechanism herself after learning that when you had no one to protect you, you had to protect yourself. The rosette had commissioned herself with two knives and made sheathes for them. They were attached to her biceps, one on the right and the other on the left. A metal band circled her arms and kept the knives in place. She made them so the knives would be released when she tensed by arms. They were made it so they would only be released when her arm was vertically straight or there would be a danger of the knives scraping or even piercing the skin as they dropped. It was extremely useful, no one really expects them. They were prepared for a weapon but she was certain they were not ready for knives to drop from her jacket sleeves.

The seventeen years old girl was still in the ally, standing by the unconscious girl. She was brushing her jacket when something caught her eye. A silhouette was standing at the end of the ally, just standing there. She waited for it to start screaming when they noticed the unconscious girl but it never made a sound. The rosette prepared to tense her biceps until she saw the shadow raise something in its hand. _**Is that a book? **_Then it dropped the object and disappeared.

She cautiously walked forwards, her hands ready to catch the knife if she needed it. She was at the end of the ally now, her feet almost touching the unknown object. It was a book. Green eyes stared at the cover, it was black and completely blank. There was no illustration on it; it looked like an absolutely plain book. Stepping over the book, she peered around the corner to see if the unknown person was still there. This side of the street was completely empty and there were no signs someone being there. Taking one last look, she turned back around to pick up the book. The cover felt rough and old under her fingers, she flicked through the pages—nothing.

She gasped and tried to throw the book away when black shadows spurted out from the pages of the book. Her feet turned to run but were stopped when the black tendrils wrapped around her arm. Emerald eyes bulged when her arm started dissolving into the page. She was being dragged into the book. The book was up to her shoulder when she closed her eyes. No matter how much she struggled, the girl couldn't get free. She knew her knives wouldn't help so she resorted to closing her eyes. The last thing she saw was red eyes and a feral smirk.

* * *

When green eyes opened, she was disoriented. She stared upwards; her eyes bulged when she saw familiar looking crystals on the ceiling. They were diamonds; she would recognize them gems any day. She always saw them from the other side of the glass in the busy streets of Tokyo. Her eyes surveyed the area; she was in a cave of some sort. The walls and floors were made of a brownish marble with streaks of black. She felt the panic rise in her when she couldn't see an entrance or exit. Mustering all the energy she had, the rosette sat and realized she was sitting in a bed. It was soft and was covered in black silk. She realized she could only see because of the diamonds on the ceiling. They lit up the cave with such radiance, it was like the sun was shining down on her.

At the end of the bed was a table made out of the brown marble with two chairs made out of the same material, placed next to each other. She looked to the right and saw a marble wall that acted as a changing screen. There was a gap on one side which stopped the wall from blocking the other side completely. She tried to peer around the wall from her place on the bed but couldn't see anything.

_**Where am I? I remember the book and being sucked in... And there were red eyes but I it was all void after that. Was I kidnapped?**_

"You're in Nihilum."

The rosette's head whipped towards the direction the voice came from. A young man was standing in the narrow gap, leaning against the wall. He had black, spiky hair with long bangs at the front. His eyes were red and had three commas around the pupil. He was tall and the girl could see the muscles due to the clothes he was wearing. It was a dark grey short-sleeved shirt which was open for it had neither buttons nor zippers. He wore black trousers which were mostly covered by a black cloth which was supported by a thick purple rope. Even though his torso was covered by bandages, the rosette could still see his well-defined muscles. Bandages also covered from his wrist to his elbows. He wore open-toe sandals which added another inch to his height. The girl knew he towered well over her.

His appearance was so sudden, the girl could only say, "Excuse me?" Even though she was abandoned at a young age, she knew her manners. She surprised most adults when she was feeling kind enough to help them, whether it was carrying their groceries or helping them get off buses. She was snapped back to reality when he chuckled. Her eyes narrowed at his arrogance. _**He's definitely confident. Maybe I should just kill him but I doubt it'll be as easy killing a regular person. **_Her eyes widened when he voiced and responded to her thoughts.

"You're right, killing me would be impossible. So you shouldn't even attempt it, Sakura." She inwardly gasped when he said her name. She hadn't heard that word in ages, no one knew her name—so why did this man know? _**How does he know...?**_

"How do you know my name?" the rosette asked, getting off the bed. Her arms at her side, ready to tense and releases the knives under her jacket. He pressed himself off the wall and started walking towards her.

"I know your name because I know everything," he simply said. Sakura could see that he had no intention with elaborating his simple statement. Her emerald eyes narrowed even more. _**This guy is really pissing me off. I really should kill him. **_She snapped when he let out a bark of laughter, it was obvious that he knew what she was thinking about. _**It doesn't matter if he can read my mind, it doesn't mean I can't kill him. **_So without further ado, she let both knives drop and swiftly caught them when they reached her hand. She jumped at him, the knife in the right hand crossed her face, poised high up on the left. She was going to bring it down diagonally, hopefully slicing his neck with a clean cut. The other knife—in her left hand— horizontally crossed her stomach to the right. The man smirked; he knew what she was doing. The knife in her left hand would not only act as a defense but also a secondary attack if the first one failed.

She was about to bring the knife down when the wind was knocked out of her. She was slammed into the wall above the bed with the mysterious man pinning her to it. The alarm in her eyes caused him to let out a laugh when she caught sight on the commas spinning around his pupils. Her hands were by her head and she could see her knives discarded on the ground. Sakura gritted her teeth when she saw that both of them were broken. _**Stupid ass... I really will kill him! **_Her attention returned to him when he started laughing. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, actually starting to fear him.

He looked down at her, his grin widening. "This is Nihilium, the dimension between time." She opened her mouth but he didn't let her start. "And I am Sasuke Uchiha; better known as Chaos, the beginning of time."

* * *

Sakura was in so much shock that she didn't realize Sasuke had let her hands go. She slid down the wall and fortunately for her and landed on the bed. She merely stared at him, not wanting to believe what she had just heard. Sasuke stared back at her, amused and waited for him to say something. "That's impossible," she whispered after a few painfully long minutes of silence.

The self-proclaimed beginning of time raised an eyebrow. "And why isn't it possible?" he asked, challenging her to prove him wrong. The rosette opened her mouth then closed it;she did it a couple of times until she finally stopped. In her mind, she was trying to find an excuse to prove not only to him but also herself that this unknown man was lying. But fate was against her for the odds were winning. _**How else could he have taken me to this cave? If he is what he says he is, who knows what he wants with me...**_

"What I want with you? It's quite simple really." Sakura jumped after having her inner questions answered. She still hadn't got use to his frequent answering of her unvoiced questions and thoughts. What really scared her was the fact that this Sasuke _did _want something from her.

"What do you want?" she asked, hesitant; part of her not really wanting to hear the answer. She flinched when he raised something in his hand, her peridot eyes widened when she realized what it was. It was the book from before, the plain black cover book that had taken her to this goddamned place. She backed into the wall when Sasuke leaned over her, placing one of his hands by her head. His face hovered above hers, smirking at her frightened expression.

"What I want is for you to help me find some things, Sakura." She shivered at the way he said her name, it rolled of his tongue perfectly. She tried to ignore the thumping in her chest by averting her eyes to the diamond ceiling. Unfortunately for her, he could clearly see her red face for the diamonds lit up the cave so brightly. "This book is the book of time, it holds the memories that I have been present at. However, as you can see, the pages are black and they need to be filled. That's where you come in Sakura; you are going to find the objects to fill these pages."

She gaped at him, "What?" Her anger started overriding her. _**Why do I need to do his dirty work for him? He's a god or something; it should be easier for him. **_He laughed at her expression and she knew he could read the thoughts of her face. She flinched again when his lips started to glide up and down her face, lightly brushing her nose once in a while.

"Unfortunately, I cannot do this. That's why you need to."

She frowned at his confession, "I still don't see why it has to be me, Sasuke." She shivered and realized it as the first time she had said his name. He smirked at her reaction, she was absolutely perfect for this little task. Then it struck her. _**The book of time... I don't need to travel through—**_

"Time? Yes, you do," he said, finishing her question.

Her eyes bulged, "No way, I won't go. You can't make be." Her breathing was now laboredand she really panicking. He looked at her, finding some sort of sick fascination in her current state. "Why me?" she whispered, tears starting to run down her face. _**Why me? I've lost my family, I've lost everything! So why me...?**_

He almost pitied her, the way the tears ran down her face almost made him feel sorry for her—almost. He lay a hand on her head, "What do you have to lose, Sakura?" And with that, he pressed his lips against hers. At first, she tried to resist, she pushed against him with no avail. Then after a while, her struggling ceased and she responded to his attack against her lips. She kissed him back and he smirked. She was finally cracking, the tough exterior she had created after her abandonment was falling down. She would be all his now, and he wouldn't let anyone else have her.

* * *

"There are four pages to this book, but they are double sided which makes eight different places to go to. I will be there but not in this form. Each event is something that has probably been written down in history books, you will have heard of them. What you are looking for is an object that represents that event somehow. It may or may have not been recorded in history, but you will know it when you see it." Sakura listened intently, trying to catch her breath back. She and Sasuke hadspent quite a while attacking each other on the bed. She was still a virgin however; they would get to losing that later. Right now, they were focusing on the book of time. Her mind started to wander and she jumped a little when Sasuke started speaking again. "Once you touch the object, it will automatically take you back to Nihilum where I will be waiting for you."

Sasuke looked at her, waiting for to process the information. He smirked at her composed face. "What if I need your help? You said you were present at each event, will that version of you help me?" she asked, worried beneath her cold exterior that Sasuke knew how to bypass.

"Maybe, maybe not. However, I will be able to speak to you telepathically if you really do need help. I see things from a different perspective so I can things you can't." She rolled his eyes at his arrogant statement. _**He's not so bad after all, and anyway, he's one hell of a kisser. **_She blushed when she remembered the moment not so long ago where they were heavily making out.

"When do I start?" she asked, wondering where she would end up first.

"You can go when you're ready. If you want a bath first, that's fine," replied, inwardly laughing when her eyes lit up when he mentioned 'bath'. He led her around the wall where her eyes widened at the marble tub that was dug into the ground. Without doing anything, both taps started gushing water. Emerald eyes lit up at the sight, she was feeling rather sweaty.

He smirked when she asked a question he was waiting for. "What do I do about clothes?" She looked down at the garments she was currently wearing. "I doubt that people won't stare, especially if it's a time when ladies still wore dresses," she explained.

Sasuke smirked, "I'll take care of your clothing for you. It'll be there every morning." She didn't like the way he said that, it was just like a stalker. However, she didn't say anything since she didn't want him to _not _provide her with clothes. "I'll leave you to bathe," and with that, he disappeared behind the wall. She felt rather self-conscious and checked her surroundings before she took her clothes off. All her worries disappeared when she slipped into the hot tub, sighing as the water relaxed her muscles. It was a real struggle when getting out of the tub, but she persisted. Realizing that she didn't have a towel, she poked her head around the corner. She smiled when the man gave her a towel to dry herself with. _**He really isn't all that bad...**_

Her thoughts were confirmed when he gave her a green frock to wear. "So you won't attract attention," he said when she raised an eyebrow. She gasped when her hair started turning black. "It'll automatically change back to its natural color when you're in here," he explained. She inwardly agreed, knowing that pink hair would attract attention and even get her killed. She looked at him questionably when he offered her a plain box. She took it and gasped when she removed the lid. Crossing each other was a pair of knives and they were much more nicer than her old ones. She excitedly checked the balance and admired the blade. Sasuke helped slip them in the metal bands underneath her long-sleeved dress, smirking when she shivered at his touch.

"Touch it," he said when she frowned at the book. She was ready to go now, she always felt complete when she had a pair of knives with her. These knives were really good quality and she knew it. He had told her the blade was made out of diamonds and that the handle was composed of titanium that was impenetrable by bullets. She grinned at him, casually spinning one of the knives in her hand. The red-eyed man smirked back at her, silently encouraging her.

He had opened the book to the first page and apparently, you had to touch it. She hesitantly placed her hand on the first blank page and jumped when the same black tendrils that had taken her here appeared again. She instantly calmed down when Sasuke pressed his lips against her as almost didn't notice the shadows crawling up her arms. Sasuke smirked as the girl finally disappeared within the book. He left it open as he placed it upon the marble table.

"What will you do now, Sakura?"

* * *

When Sakura opened her green eyes, she was met with green. She observed her surroundings, she could see flowers and a few trees. She squinted and saw that there was a town quite far away. _**If I want to find out where I am, I need to meet the people. **_She was just about to set off when she heard a voiced behind her, causing her to jump. "What are you doing here, Fräulein?" Sakura span around and was met by a familiar face. Her eyes widened when she realized who it was. She had read about him countless times and heard about him countless times. She knew she was traveling into the past but she hadn't expected this. He looked at lot younger than he did in the history books—perhaps he was in his twenties—but Sakura recognized him nonetheless.

"Who are you" she asked, knowing the answer but wanting it not to be true. Sakura was also surprised that she could speak the language like it was her mother-tongue. _**Sasuke must have done something. **_She still thought in her mother-tongue but the words that came out of her mouth were in another language.

The man raised an eyebrow at her obscure question but answered nonetheless. "My name is Adolf Hitler, Fräulein. And I'll ask you once again, what are you doing here?"

_Follow you heart, Sakura. You may not be able to control what happens but you decide what you do with it._

* * *

**So, I finished that chapter in a couple of days, not so bad for a new story. Publishing it on Christmas is my way of saying 'Merry Christmas'! Hope you guys have a great new year as well. Thanks for reading, now if you just reviewed... That could be considered as my Christmas gift! :D Unfortunately, I've gone down with a cold on Christmas day... =.=b**

**If any of you are interested, I've posted a link to Sasuke's outfit on my profile. Check it out!**

**See you next time! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! ;)**


	2. Just a Child

**Hi!**

**Hope you guys had a good Christmas and a happy new year! I'm recovering from my cold quite quickly! :D I hope this story continues well and you guys kept reading it. :D There may be a chance that some of the historical facts will be incorrect but I need it to fit my story. Hope you enjoy this chapter and review!**

**Credits:  
Bianca K: For proofreading.**

**Disclaimer:  
I do not own Naruto.**

**Location:  
Germany, 1913**

**Summary:  
Sakura, now in a foreign country is greeted by a young adult Adolf Hitler. She becomes his acquaintance and realizes that nobody is born bad. She is reminded that she needs to look for an object that symbolizes the time she's currently at. What will Sakura do?**

_**Thoughts**_

* * *

Time Is Running Out: Chapter 1: Just a Child

Sakura was frozen in her place. She just stared at the man who was known as one of the most evil authoritarians ever. He had brown eyes, which matched his bowl cut hair. He wasn't overly heavy—more like chubby. Sakura recognized the famous mustache that was twin to Charlie Chaplin's. Small, neat and trimmed. It didn't cover any part of his face apart from space below his noise and above his lips.

The girl jumped when the man asked her again what she was doing here. Her mind whirled; she had no idea what to say. "I'm lost, could you please tell me where I am?" she asked, trying to change the subject. He frowned at her and she couldn't blame him. _**I can somehow speak German yet I don't know where I am. Brilliant, Sakura. **_If Hitler was curious, he didn't show it. Instead, he answered her politely.

"This is Munich, Fräulein," he replied. Sakura looked around against her eyes widened. Behind the man was a large house. Hitler's next words confirmed her suspicions, "And this is my property."

"I'm sorry," apologized Sakura. If Sakura knew anything, she didn't want to anger this man. Guessing his age, Sakura believed that he was yet part of the army.

He shook his head,"It's alright, Fräulein. You look shaken, would you like a cup of tea?" Sakura was surprised by his offer. He directed an arm when she accepted his offer by nodding. She nervously walked up the dirt path to his house. It was genuine interest that wracked Sakura when they entered the house. It was a grand house, Sakura could see that. "I inherited this house from my father." Sakura looked up at the man on her right. He was staring straight ahead, reminiscing. Sakura's eyes softened. _**Even this man was not always cruel. So, it was war that changed him...**_

As her eyes trained onto the house, she started observing all the objects. Knowing that any of them could be what she was looking for, she inwardly sighed. _**So many fucking objects, brilliant. Thanks Sasuke... **_She was snapped back to reality when Hitler asked for her name. "Cherrie," she said without thinking. Knowing that she could not give her actualname for it would not match the language she was currently speaking. He nodded with approval at her name and they continued walking into the sitting room.

Before she knew it, there was a cup of steaming tea in front of her. The man sat next to her with his own cup in his hands. She slowly sipped the tea, savoringthe hot drink. She inhaled the steam, smelling the scent of lavender. She knew that lavender had calming effects on it's user. She smiled at she felt her tense muscles relax. Soon, they were talking like old friends.

She almost felt guilty for lying to him. But she had too, it was for his protection as well. She knew Sasuke was capable of so much more and she would be with her somewhere. It was too risky to bring someone else in. Sakura told Hitler that her father was in the army and her family went with him. She bit her lip nervously when the man told her that families usually stay instead of going with the solider. However, he did not press any further, thinking it was personal business.

She diverted his attention by saying she was on holiday by herself but she had stopped off in this town for a while. Unfortunately for her, she was unfamiliarwith Germany so she had gotten lost. Her story was plausible enough and Hitler believed in it.

Sakura spotted the flag of Germany hung up over the fire place. Hitler noticed her interest and voiced his thoughts. "Even though I was born in Austria, I love Germany." Sakura felt the sweat fun down her temple, she was nervous now. "May I show you our national anthem?" Sakura could only nod when Hitler asked.

_Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,  
Über alles in der Welt,  
Wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze  
Brüderlich zusammenhält.  
Von der Maas bis an die Memel,  
Von der Etsch bis an den Belt,  
Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,  
Über alles in der Welt!_

_Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,  
Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang  
Sollen in der Welt behalten  
Ihren alten schönen Klang,  
Uns zu edler Tat begeistern  
Unser ganzes Leben lang.  
Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,  
Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang!_

_Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit  
Für das deutsche Vaterland!  
Danach lasst uns alle streben  
Brüderlich mit Herz und Hand!  
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit  
Sind des Glückes Unterpfand;  
Blüh' im Glanze dieses Glückes,  
Blühe, deutsches Vaterland!_

Sakura didn't realize tears were running down her face until Hitler finished. She felt the liquid run down her lips and she wiped them away. It wasn't the lyrics that moved her but it was the tone it was sung in. She hastily wiped away her tears before Hitler noticed. "That was beautiful," she whispered.

He smiled, "Thank you, Fräulein."

Sakura took a deep breath. _**While he's still soft, ask him now. Do it now! **_Without hesitation, she asked, "What symbolizes Germany the most?"

Hitler looked at her, his eyes seemingly seeing through her. She shifted nervously in her seat, wondering if her cover was blown. Her emerald orbs widened at his answer.

"Greatness."

* * *

Sakura sighed as she flopped onto the bed. Hitler had taken her to an inn to stay for the night. "I would have let you stay in my house but I have no spare sheets," he had said. So he took her to an inn for the night. The room was small but comfy. There was a bed, a side table and a small table with a chair. _**At least I have my own bathroom. **_The bathroom was simple as well but it was clean. A small tub was pushed into the corner and a sink.

Emerald eyes stared at the ceiling but no really seeing it. _**What do I do? I didn't have the chance to search the house. I'm meeting Hitler tomorrow but even then, will I have an opportunity?**_

_You will..._

Sakura jolted off the bed, almost falling off it. She looked around the room nervously but the only occupant was her. Emerald orbs narrowed, ready to let a knife drop into her hand. When nothing happened, she relaxed her muscles—

_You will..._

The knife was just about to drop when she recognized the voice. The dark velvet voice that belonged to _that _man.

_So, you've figured it out..._

Sakura smirked, she had forgotten about Sasuke's little mind tricks. _**I almost forgot that you were telepathic.**_

_Hn._

She rolled her eyes. _**I can feel your smirk, Sasuke. What do you want?**_

_Hn, I just came to give you some advice. But since you're obviously not happy to see me, I'm reconsidering about telling you what I know._

The black-haired girl pouted and fell back onto the bed again. Her unnatural black hair flowed around her face, creating a frame around it. She stared plainly at the ceiling, a smile crawling up on her lips. _**Come on, Sasuke. Please~**_

_Hn, fine._

Sakura smiled with glee. _**Thanks Sasuke! So, what do you have for me? **_When there was no reply, Sakura felt the worry rise. _**Sasuke? Are you still there? **_Silence. Then—

_You should be more perceptive... Sakura..._

Then he was gone.

Sakura's eyes bulged. _**That's it? How's that supposed to help me? Sasuke! **_She rolled her eyes when she heard a silent chuckle echo around the room. She closed her eyes, feeling the past events wearing her out. Without slipping into the sheets, Sakura felt the sleep take over. And soon enough, Sakura was in such a deep slumber, nothing could have woken her up.

A night had passed and the sun had risen. Its bright rays slipped into the room where the two curtains were joined. It shined onto Sakura, its rays warming her up. She groaned when she spied the light through her closed eyes. It was very tempting for her to stay in bed and not get up. But her conscious reminded her that she had a meeting with Hitler today. She snickered. _**How many people get to say they have a meeting with Hitler?**_

She used all her energy to roll of the bed. She grunted when her knees hit the wooden floor and started crawling towards the bathroom. Her tired green eyes lightened up when she reached the tub and rolled into it. With tired arms, she took her bra and underwear off before turning the tap. Sakura sighed contentedly when hot water started pouring into the tub. She looked back into the bedroom and her eyes zeroes in to her pair of knives. They really were beautiful. The diamond blade sparkled due to the sun which lit up the room.

She relaxed and moaned in relief when she stepped into the tub. She closed her eyes and let the steam massage her skin. She grabbed the soap and started scrubbing her body. She smiled when she found a small bottle of shampoo. Squeezing some into her hand, she smothered the jelly-like liquid into the black hair. When she figured she had been relaxing long enough, she pulled the plug and sat until the water was drained. Sighing, she stood up and grabbed the plain brown towel sitting on the toilet. Frowning at the rough material, she hesitated with drying herself with it. Not wanting to stay cold, she put up with the towel.

Sakura's eyes widened when she spotted something on her bed that wasn't there before. A dress was placed neatly on her bed. It was another green dress and very similar to the dress she had yesterday. It had long sleeves that widened towards the end and it reached down to her feet. It puffed out which gave her room to walk long strides. Before putting it on, she strapped the metal bands onto her arms and then slipped the knives in. She heard a satisfying clink when she heard the diamond blades fall into their sheathes. She then pulled the dress over her head and sighed when she couldn't find the head hole.

When she finally had the dress on, she made her way downstairs. She slipped the key into her bra and walked down the creaky wooden stairs. She greeted the bartender and accepted an apple he offered before walking out of the inn. Waiting outside was Hitler, leaning on the wall to the inn.

"Good morning, Fräulein." Sakura smiled in reply and together, they walked on a path together. She didn't know where they were going but soon enough, she saw a pond adorned by benches. The girl smiled when Hitler brushed off the bench before letting her sit. He didn't acknowledge her new dress and if he did, Hitler didn't say anything. It was silent until he broke the silence, "Fräulein, I'm going to join the army." Sakura's eyes widened, she wasn't expecting this. _**I know he was in the army but this soon?**_

"Oh..." She couldn't say anything after that. Sakura looked at Hitler and he looked right back at her. He seemed to be debating within himself before pulling out something from his pocket. It was a handkerchief. It was plain white; it didn't even have any initials in it. "Is that yours?" she asked softly, wanting to change the subject.

He smiled at it, reminiscing. "It was my mother's; it was given to me after she died."

Sakura's eyes widened, "I'm sorry."

He smiled bitterly, "It's okay Fräulein. People die all the time, I can't be any different." She knew this was a delicate subject for him so she tried to change it again.

"When are you leaving?" she asked, hoping it wasn't soon. _**How am I going to find the object if he's gone? **_Her heart dropped into her stomach when she heard his reply. "Tomorrow?" she whispered; her voice hitching. He nodded gravely as he returned the handkerchief to his back pocket.

"Fräulein, can I ask you a favor?" Sakura turned to him, nodding. He sighed, "Will you look after my house when I'm gone?"

Sakura's breath hitched into her throat, "Oh... I'm sorry to say but I'm returning to my family soon."

"That's alright, Fräulein. If you ever need a place to stay in Munich, you are welcome to use my house," he said. She smiled and thanked him for his offer. "Unfortunately, I have to leave now to pack," Hitler said. "Perhaps I'll see you later, Fräulein."

She watched him leave and sighed when he disappeared from sight. _**What am I going to do? There's no way I'll be able to find the object now. **_She placed her head into her arms and had the urge to break down and cry. _**God, what am I going to do?**_

"Are you okay, Fräulein?" Sakura lifted her head up to see a small boy looking at her. He looked no older than ten. He had raven black hair with onyx orbs. He wore a long brown coat and donned black shoes. He had a sweet smile with genuine eyes. Sakura couldn't help but smile at the little boy's kindness.

"I'm fine, Little Boy," she replied. The little boy plopped himself next to her on the bench. Sakura didn't flinch when the boy moved closer to her. She somewhat felt soothed when the boy cuddled next to her. She closed her eyes in content, the aura of this boy felt so much like Sasuke. Her eyes snapped open and she stared at the little boy. He stared right back at her with onyx hues.

"You should be more perceptive, Fräulein." Sakura's eyes widened at his sudden statement. Without saying anymore, the little boy slid out of her grasp and started walking away. When he turned to look back, a familiar smirk graced the boy's face.

_**Sasuke said he would be there, was that boy him? **_And when she moved looked into the boy's eyes again, she knew it was him. She opened her mouth to call out to him but he ran away before she had the chance. _**Heh... So, he took the form of a little boy.**_

* * *

Sakura stood outside of Hitler's house. Another night had passed and she had good night's rest. She had decided to go with her instincts. She was going to put everything on the line. She had less than an hour with him and she was hoping she would fine the object before then. _**Even though, maybe the object is within his house. I can check his house after he leaves. But if it's with him... I'm dead...**_

"Fräulein," Sakura looked up towards the house and watched the man walk down the path towards her. He had a big bag attached to his back, prepared to leave. "My train leaves soon," Hitler said to her. She nodded in acknowledgement. She accepted his offered hand and shook it sincerely. When they released hands, Hitler placed something in her hand. It was a brown bag, "A leaving gift." She smiled, not really thinking about it. She was more concerned about finding the object. Just as she was about to say something, Hitler beat her to it. "I have to go now." Sakura's eyes widened when he started walking down the path. She wanted to say something but couldn't when Hitler turned around to salute her. She smiled softly. _**No one is really born bad. **_He smiled back at her when she wished him good luck.

As Adolf Hitler walked down the path, ready to begin a new life, he almost regretted leaving. "Cherrie, huh? If I ever come back, you'll be the first I find."

When she could see him no more, Sakura turned towards the house. She viewed the grand house wearily. She suddenly remembered the brown bag in her grasp. She slowly opened it and peered inside it. Her eyes bulged when she saw what was in it. It was the handkerchief of Hitler's mother. She carefully pulled it out and almost dropped it when black tendrils blasted out of the piece of cloth. They started wrapping around his arm and she relaxed when she recognized the feeling. She closed her eyes as the black tendrils wrapped around her body. And as she disappeared along with the handkerchief, no one was witness apart from a little black-haired boy. He hid behind a tree, an evil smirk too mature for his age marred his face.

"Good job, Sakura."

When Sakura opened her eyes, she was greeted with the diamond ceiling. She realized she was on the soft bed. "That wasn't so bad, was it—Sakura?" Sakura's head turned to the left only to see the smirking Uchiha.

"You..."

He smirked at her loss of words, "I...?"

"You were that little boy," she said breathlessly. His smirk only confirmed her suspicions. His eyes moved down to her hand and saw the spotless white handkerchief in her grasp. She jumped when she felt an object land on the bed, but that panic was stilled when the realized it was the book of time. It had opened at the first page and Sakura stared at him when Sasuke told her to place the object on it. But he was inhuman so she followed his orders. She gasped when a white light engulfed the page and when the light disappeared, so had the handkerchief. The only remainder was a sketch that had appeared on the page. A sketch of the very same handkerchief had been drawn onto the blank page.

Sakura didn't realize she was crying until she saw the page being stained by her tears. From the corner of her eyes, she saw her hair had changed back to it's usual pink. Sakura looked at her, somewhat confused by her sadness. "What's wrong, Sakura?"

She choked, "I was there, Sasuke and I couldn't stop him." She buried her head in her arms, "I'm such an idiot. I could have stopped all those people from dying if I had kept him there." She continued to weep and shook even more Sasuke wrapped his arms around her.

"You cannot change history, Sakura. No matter what you do, you can't change anything." She only cried even harder in his arms. Sasuke lay down gently with her in his arms. Her eyes closed and the weariness from the past events and crying had worn her down. Soon enough, she was asleep. Sasuke observed her face and finally smirked. He leaned down towards her, "What now, Sakura?" he whispered into her ear.

The rosette slowly opened her eyes after a good night'srest. She felt very warm and it wasn't because of the silk sheets. With his arms wrapped around her, Sasuke lay next to her. But he wasn't asleep. He was staring at her with his onyx orbs, smirking. She recoiled but couldn't move far because of the arms wrapped around her. After a while of trying to escape, Sakura gave up.

"Come on, Sakura. Time to get up."

Sakura moaned, "Go away, Sasuke." He ignored her request and she squealed when he lifted her out of bed. Her walked with her around the wall and placed her in the tub. She didn't do anything as the taps started releasing hot water. In fact, she welcomed the feeling. She was so tired, she didn't realized Sasuke was still with her. She almost hit the ceiling when she saw Sasuke next to her. He too, was not wearing anything. She scrambled to the other side of the built-in tub and he chuckled at her actions. Somehow, she didn't feel conscious even though there was a naked male with her.

She thanked him as he passed her a towel after the water was drained. She blushed when he passed her another frock and helped her tie the corset. She shivered at his touch when he helped snap the metal bands with the knives on her biceps. He licked his lips, "You ready, Sakura?"

She smirked at his antics, "You know I am." She grumbled as her hair started changing colorback to black. Sakura caught sight of the drawing of the handkerchief as Sasuke flipped through the book to the next page. He offered it to her and she glided her hand over it. Black tendrils soon wrapped around her arm and she started disappearing into the book. Sasuke was once again alone when she finally disappeared into the book of time. He licked his lips once more before placing the book back on the marble table.

"The first one was easy Sakura. But this time will be different."

_Saving everybody in this world is impossible but that doesn't mean you can't try._

* * *

**DONE! FINALLY!**

**This chapter was so difficult to write! Historical facts are so difficult to get right. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and review. School starts again soon! :( Grrrrrr...**


	3. Angels

**Hello again! Starting to write the next chapter of 'Time Is Running Out'. School starts in 2-3 days and I really don't want to go. I like holidays... so comfy on my bed. Getting up at 7AM is not my cup of tea... Hope you guys continue to enjoy this story and thanks for reading. Feel free to review and give criticism. Enjoy! :D**

**Credits:  
****Bianca K: For proofreading.**

**Disclaimer:  
****I do not own Naruto.**

**Location:  
****Troyes, 1429**

**Summary:  
****Sakura is brought into the time of wars again. At first, she has no idea who she's looking for but she is taken in my an old farmer. The old man takes her to an inn and there, she meets on of the greatest figures in history.**

_**Thoughts**_

* * *

Time Is Running Out: Chapter 2: Angels

Green met green when Sakura opened her eyes. She warily observed her surroundings, finding herself in a field of lush grass. There were no houses or humans in sight, only green. Trees surrounded the field, creating a secluded opening. A noise was heard behind her and Sakura whipped her head around to see who—or what—it was. She was reminded of Sasuke's dark magic when black locks were seen instead of her natural pink. She prepared to let the hidden knives drop from her sleeves, in case she needed to defend herself.

However, she let her arms relax when an old looking man stepped out from the trees. He noticed her straight away but made no signs of seeing her as a threat. He began walking in a beeline towards her and as he neared, Sakura got a good look at his features. He was old—she could tell by his withered face and pale grey hair. His fingers were bent and stiff; symptoms of arthritis Sakura noted. He wore simple clothes; cotton trousers, a ragged shirt and a pair of sandals that had been used many times. He had grey hair and black eyes. Eyes that held wisdom, wisdom gained from all the years he had lived through. In fact, those eyes were _too _old.

The old man smiled when he reached her. "Fair maiden, what brings you out here?" he asked her, bewilderment in his eyes now he saw her up close. In his eyes, she looked no more than a girl finishing puberty. There were females in the village but he had never seen this girl before. Sakura was hesitant about answering. _**Can I trust him? What if he's a spy or something? **_But all her worries disappeared when the man smiled warmly at her. There was no way a man this kind and old would want anything to do with spies.

"I come from the other side of the country. I've stopped in this town for the night. Tell me, is there anywhere to stay?" asked Sakura, hoping his answer would be a good one. Luckily for her, the old man nodded his head and asked her to follow him back to town. It wasn't far and getting through the forest wasn't difficult. Sakura rejoiced inwardly when the old man didn't ask her why she was in a field unaccompanied. She knew how dangerous it was for women in the olden days and how rare it would be for someone like her to not have a male companion.

Emerald eyes lit up when she saw houses in sight. They were little cottages, built with straw and wood. It looked very friendly and cosy. Sakura followed the man pass a couple of houses and they stopped outside a large building with a sign hanging outside it. The man gestured for Sakura to walk in as he held the door open. She walked through, hitching her dress up as she walked up a step where the door stood.

Sakura observed her surroundings, there were a couple of tables and chairs, a bar and next to that was a flight of stairs that led upwards. _**Perhaps the rooms are there. **_She followed the old man to the bar where the innkeeper was leaning against the table, polishing a glass. He looked up when he heard the two approaching. The recognition on the innkeeper's face turned to confusion when he saw the pretty girl walk next to him. "Please wait here," asked the old man before turning to his amused friend. As they conversed, Sakura realized that they were speaking in French, a language she had never learnt. _**That damn Sasuke, exactly how muc**__**h power does he possess? **_She looked around the area again, this time searching for an object that looked like it might hold some valuable piece of history. _**That's practically everything... I'm going to kill that stupid God or whatever he is. Don't care if **__**he's immortal, even he can't survive if I rip his balls off.**_

She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder only for it to be the old man. He looked concerned but realized she was just in deep thought. "They have one room left; do you know how long you will be staying?"

"Is it possible to pay by the day?" asked Sakura bitterly, she was mad that Sasuke wasn't helping her at all. _**Once I rip his balls off, I'll shove them down his throat. Death by asphyxiation. **_The old man turned back to the innkeeper and spoke rapidly in French. _**At least he's given me the power to understand all the languages... **_But the nod of the innkeeper would have told anyone that she _could _pay by the day. Then another worry struck Sakura—she had no money. The old man must have been wiser than she thought because she stared at him with bulging eyes when he asked her if she wanted to earn some money. "Should make enough to pay for the room," he said while looking at her with a knowing smile.

"What's the job about," questioned Sakura, not convinced yet. She almost laughed when the old man told her to keep with the farm and crops.

"My old age doesn't allow my back to work as much," explained the farmer once she had accepted the job. "But since this is your first day here, let me pay for tonight," and without further ado, he hadn't a few coins to the innkeeper. Sakura opened her mouth to protest then closed it. _**No point refusing that. I don't have a single penny anyway. **_She turned to thank the old man to see that he was halfway out the door. "When you're reading, ask the innkeeper where my farm is?" he said before closing the door behind him.

Sakura sighed after him before she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see a single key dangling in front of her. She smiled as the innkeeper dropped the key in her open palm. She moved towards the stairs and proceeded to follow the innkeeper's directions to her room. Just before she completely disappeared from sight, Sakura heard, "The female showers are at the end of the hall. You might want to use them before the army comes."

That made Sakura stop in her tracks, "Army?"

The innkeeper nodded, "Yes, a messenger came to tell me to reserve a couple of rooms. It's going to pretty full by tonight." Sakura was deep in thought as she continued up the steps. _**Could the secret **__**possibly be within the army? I must try to make contact with them... But how? Stupid Sasuke! He still hasn't make any contact with me, what the hell am I supposed **__**to do? **_She was still grumbling by the time she shoved the key into the correct keyhole.

The room was simple but cosy, just what she wanted after a tiring day. There was a single bed with a thin sheet, a table and a chair and a bedside table. There was a small window covered by a heavy dark curtain that was pulled back. On the bed was a white towel folded neatly. Sakura sighed and decided to heed the innkeeper's words. She grabbed the towel and flung it over her shoulder before exiting the room and locking it. She kept the key in her clenched fist and walked to the end of the hall. She saw a small female figure carved onto the door which symbolized it as the female washroom.

She pushed it open and was pleasantly surprised at the warmth the room held. She quickly closed the door behind her; feeling disappointed when there was no lock on the inside. Her disappointed disappeared when she found the individual stalls had their individual locks. Each stall had a shower and a small space which a wooden bench to get changed. The ridge between the shower and the changing stalls kept the water from flooding the dry area. Opposite from the stalls were a decent amount of sinks and a long mirror that reflected the whole section of the stalls.

Sakura smiled at the decency of the inn and proceeded to enter one of the stalls. She placed her towel on one of the hooks after locking the door. She turned both taps on—the tap with the red marking a bit more—before taking her dress off. She frowned when the corset strings bunched up in a knot. _**Why couldn't have Sasuke just given m**__**e a dress with a zip? Would have made my life so much easier but noooo... we can't let Sakura have an easy life, can we? **_The woman contemplated on ripping the dress up with her blades but decided against it. She was sure Sasuke kept an eye on her and she didn't think he would be very happy if she destroyed his gift to her. _**Not to mention he might not give me a new one... **_Her brows furrowed even more when she thought of the mysterious self-proclaimed beginning of time. Carelessly dropping her blades on the wooden bench, Sakura stepped into the shower. She made no motion of washing herself, the girl just the hot water cascade down her. _**That man... Why do I—**_

The unnaturally black-haired girl jumped when she heard the main door slam open. She waited for a chorus of voices but it was silent after that. Slightly worried, Sakura stared cautiously at the door, waiting for it to burst open. But it never did. Brushing off the feeling, she grabbed the bar of soap and scrubbed her body down with it. There was no shampoo so Sakura just used the soap as a substitute. When she felt thoroughly washed, she span the taps off, slightly aware that there was probably a limited amount of water due to the fact that they were in the 1400s. _**I didn't even know showers existed that far back. **_After drying herself with a towel, Sakura slipped the blades and their sheathes on her arms before putting her dress back on. _**I hate putting on used clothes but right now, I have no choice. **_She was so relaxed that as she unlocked the door, the normally pink-haired girl forgot about the strange door event that happened not long ago.

That's why she jumped when she saw a figure in front of the stalls. She almost dropped her towel which she had been carrying in her arms. Due to natural instinct and years of living it rough, Sakura almost let a blade drop but stopped when she got a better view of the figure. Emerald eyes stared bewilderedly at the young woman who was currently taking off her amour. She had mid-length chestnut hair and matching eyes. She didn't notice Sakura until she started taking off her armguard, where she had the same reaction as Sakura. The woman jumped and her hand grabbed the sword strapped to her side. When she saw who it was, she relaxed her grip before smiling apologetically. "Forgive me; I did not see you there."

Sakura almost forgot to speak until the woman looked at her with concern. "O-Oh, I should be the one saying sorry. I didn't make my presence known until too late," said Sakura, waving her arms frantically. The woman stared at her before bringing up her hand to cover her small laugh. Sakura viewed the metal glove which covered her hand. _**Is this the army the innkeeper was talking about? Since when did they allow women in army? **_The pondering girl would have continued pondering had the woman not extended a hand for her to shake. Sakura took it, slinging the white towel across her left shoulder. "My name is Cherrie," said Sakura while shaking the hand. Her hand was cold due to the metal but she could feel the hint of warmth from the contact to warm flesh for so long. _**So they've been traveling for quite some time which means they'll be tired. Perhaps I can get some information out of this woman before she regains her energy. The mind is always weaker when it's been deprived of sleep.**__** Heh, this should be a piece of cake.**_

_Should _be.

The woman smiled back at her, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Cherrie. My name is Joan d'Arc and I have been sent by my God." Sakura's eyes widened in shock, not only from the woman's abruptness but also the context of her sentence. _**Joan d'Arc? Does this mean...? **_The woman waited patiently, like she was use to people staring at her with amazement. Sakura's hand dropped back to her side and both waited in silence. Neither of them broke it until Sakura felt someone verbally slap her.

_Wake up Sakura. Anymore and your jaw will drop._

Sakura recoiled and the concerned woman raised her hands to steady her. That was unneeded however for Sakura regained her balance before she could fall. "Are you okay?" asked Joan, her hands wavering just in case Sakura fell again. The shocked girl breathed in deeply before replying in a calm manner.

"I'm fine, it's probably the steam from the showers getting to me," Sakura said, praying that the mirrors were still fogged up to prove her point. Luckily for her, they still were misty so Joan let her hands drop after a while. However, the worried expression did not leave her face. That's why Sakura decided to change the subject before things started to go against her. "Joan d'Arc? I've heard of you, you are greatly admired by many," Sakura said, using what little knowledge she knew about history to create her facade. But it worked for the armor-clad woman smiled gently and all traces of concern left her beautiful face.

"Yes, even though many don't believe it, I know I've been sent by God with a duty. The Lord told me to aid King Charles VII and overthrow the English." Sakura's eyes widened at this woman's bold statement. _**Is she even a woman yet? She can only be one or two years old than me and she's already bearing the weight of an army on her shoulders? That's crazy... **_However, the blade-wielding woman made no attempt to voice out her opinion, instead choosing to continue listening. However, that was unnecessary for God's angel decided to speak no more of her duty. "Would you give me the honor of joining me for dinner after I've taken my shower?" asked Joan, inwardly hoping this newcomer would accept. To her delight, the black-haired girl nodded her head and smiled welcomingly. "How wonderful! Perhaps I could meet you at the bar in an hour? I hear that they serve the best food in this village."

* * *

Sakura lay in her bed, staring at the wooden ceiling. It was around midnight and a couple of hours had passed after dinner with Joan d'Arc. They had talked about many things, some things good, and some things bad. She had not been so skeptical when she began talking about God, that's why Joan was so kind to her. She learned that many people dismissed her because they didn't believe her and the fact that she was a girl. Sakura had almost forgotten that women were treated differently in the past. And another thing was bugging her—why hadn't Sasuke contacted her yet? The only time she had heard from him since she arrived in Troyes was that single time in the bathroom. She had put him off because she needed to concentrate on finding the object. _**But he could have least said something afterwards! But... I'm now certain that Joan is the person but what could the object be?**_

All this thinking was making Sakura drowsy and her eyes started to shut. As her vision blurred, she swore she could see _his _red eyes. _Goodbye Sakura, it's going to be a long time until we meet each other again. _

Sakura jolted awake, the same kind of jolt when you were about to fall asleep and you felt like you were falling into a dark hole. She felt bad, very bad. Her stomach was churning and it burned, it felt like her stomach acid was burning through her. She stumbled out of bed and grabbed her dress from the wooden table. She flung it on, growling in frustration when the corset strings almost knotted up again. She almost flew down the stairs, just remembering to lock the door after her.

Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw a bunch of amor-clad beings standing by the door. Her eyes searched for the petite form and zoned in when she found who she was looking for. She weaved through the army, avoiding the people she passed. She stopped breathless in front of the woman who was currently talking to the innkeeper. Joan d'Arc turned her head to see the breathless girl look at her desperately. There was something in her eyes that told God's angel that this girl wanted something—and she wanted it bad. But she didn't voice it. Sakura's mind was whirling so she asked the next best question. "Are you leaving?" she asked once she regained her breath. She stifled her gasp when the woman nodded her head. Instead, to cease suspicion, Sakura smiled sadly. "That's a shame, especially since we just got to know each other."

"I'll send you letters," replied Joan, mirroring Sakura's expression. "Can you give me address?" Her brown eyes widened when Sakura told her she was going to live here for a long time. Sakura accepted the hug Joan gave her, awkwardly returning it against her hard armor. Sakura could not do anything as she watched the army depart. She gritted her teeth and her arms tensed, had she had her knives with her, they would have dropped due to her tensed muscles. She watched until they were out of sight before turning back around. The innkeeper did not say anything as she returned upstairs. She unlocked her room with and the first thing she saw was a new dress folded neatly on her bed. She clenched the key in her hand, so hard it might have distorted.

She knew exactly who this gift was from. She pushed the door shut, resisting the temptation to slam it shut. The last thing she needed was something investigating. _**I might just throw a knife at them and I know, I wouldn't miss. **_She picked up the cloth in her hand and it scrunched up in her grip. Once again, she felt her teeth grit and a familiar feeling boil up inside of her. Not frustration but rage—pure rage. She felt like she could kill someone. In the past, she had been very close to it but restrained herself for she didn't want the police to catch her. But in this time where the law was weak and no one would suspect her, she knew she could get away with murder. But she stopped herself, knowing it would be unfair to take out her rage of an innocent when she was angry with _him_. _**He thinks after all this time;**__** I will just forgive him because he gave me a dress? He treats me like a dog! When I see him again—I don't care if it's tomorrow or next year—I will kill him.**_

Sakura spent the rest of day sharpening her blades and staring out of the window. She imagined what would happen if she threw one of her knives at random strangers walking by the inn. Men, women and children all alike. She fantasized about how the blood would splatter everywhere and how the exhilaration would engulf her. She didn't come out to eat and it was dark by the time she walked down the stairs. The innkeeper stared sympathetically at her and offered an apple to her. She took it and harshly bit into it. She sat on the barstool and drowned down a glass of liquor that was pushed under her nose.

She was absolutely wasted when she hit her bed a couple of hours later. Her self-preservation kept her from leaving the door unlocked but other than that, she was gone. There was nothing to throw so she just buried her face in her pillow. She cried as well; cried for her abandonment and how she was being used. That man was just using her in the end, just like everybody. For her skills, her naivety and everything she had left. She had flung the new dress onto the floor in a fit of rage. It reminded her of the Time God and she _didn't _want to be reminded of him. Killing him was like finding a needle in a haystack, next to impossible. But that didn't mean she couldn't try, she was sure she could get a few hits on him before he killed her—if that was what Sasuke did to people who tried to murder him. As sleep persuaded her to close eyes, she didn't notice a hand picking up the abused dress and placing it on the table. She stirred slightly as something brushed the unnatural black hair out of her face. And as her hair moved due to unnatural causes, the figure was gone. No evidence of _it _ever being there, just like the wind, he was gone.

* * *

Sakura straightened her back, bringing up a basket full of fresh vegetables. She had decided to work at the farm owned by the old man who had first found her. She stared at the sky, it was slightly dark due to it being the season of harvest; autumn. She walked back to the farmhouse, entering without knocking. It had been almost a year since she had arrived in Troyes and she had gotten to know the village well. All the young children loved her, the old women found her to be a graceful lady and the young men were head over heels for her. She had her fair share of proposals but refused every one of them. She didn't know why though, since it was unlikely she was ever leaving. Joan d'Arc was a distant memory and she was sure for certain that the object was with God's angel now. Unless she came back, there was no way Sakura would ever find the object. _He _hadn't contacted her either. The last time she had heard from him was during the bathroom when she met Joan. She had decided to stay in Troyes and live there but deep down in her mind, she knew she would return to that man one day. He wanted that book completed and there was no way he was going to let her go so easily. He was the God of Time, what would one year mean to him?

She missed God's angel though. The last time she had contact with Joan was when she sent a letter one or two months after leaving the inn in Troyes. It was December back then and the letter had pleased Sakura very much. She kept the single sheet of parchment under her pillow and she read it every night. She was on good terms with the innkeeper and he gave her a free drink every Sunday which was the only day she didn't work. He had even lowered the price for the room after a couple of months of her being there. Nobody questioned on why she stayed so long, not even the old man. They all assumed she didn't want to go back home or was avoiding something. It wasn't unusual in those days—perhaps she was running away from an arranged marriage.

Sakura lay in her bed, her black hair all over the pillow. She missed her pink hair, even though she stood out, she still missed it. It was part of her and not having it was like losing herself. It was something else Sasuke took from her. All she had left was her dignity. That pride remained in her twin blades but she hated them as well for Sasuke had given her them. She practiced whenever she could, she didn't want to get rusty. She laughed silently at the pun then rolled over onto her stomach. She pulled out the brown parchment and read it again. It ran:

_Dear Cherrie,_

_I am forever sorry that I did not write earlier but I have been so busy. We have won many __battles __since we left Troyes and I am very happy to inform you that on the 21__st__ of December, my family has been granted nobility. I believe that God has blessed with this gift. I will continue fighting for my __home country and will not stop until we are an __independent country again. Perhaps I will see you again, perhaps I won't. But I will always pray for you and hope you live happily._

_May God look over you,_

_Joan d'Arc._

_31__st__ December 1429 _

Sakura smiled as she read it. She had almost forgotten her fake name: Cherrie. Reading the letter helped her sleep at night and forget a certain someone. How she wished it was over but it would never be, not until the blasted book was completed. That man was just abiding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Had she waited before touching the next page of the book, she wouldn't have to wait so long. And another thing, Sasuke said he was present at all these times—so where was he? Was he among the villagers? Was he in the army? Or hadn't she met him yet? So many questions to be answered but there were no way she was going to get the answers anytime soon.

He would come one day and she would be ready. Even if she died trying it, she would kill him. At least he couldn't bother her when she died. _**But when I die, he'll go torment someone else. Why do I care? No one ever looked out for me so why should I? That's right**__**,**__** I shouldn't care about anyone else. I never have before so why**__** now?**_

Another year had passed, the year was now 1431 and Sakura was still living. She had grown accustomed to the late Medieval Ages. She had realized that the Renaissance was coming and things were changing. But something worried her, what if she never returned to Nihilum? As much as she loved Troyes, she didn't want to live in the past. No—she _couldn't _live in the past.

Sakura was currently sitting at the bar, eating a plate of food. She laughed when the innkeeper told her the vegetables had come from the farm and she had probably picked them herself. She smiled, it was nice to her. The village wasn't big and the residents were friendly. Even though she wanted to forget, certain things stopped her from doing just that. It was a shame that she had such a good memory; she would never forget him—even when she had grey hair. And the blades, those weapons reminded her every day of him. She couldn't just throw them away like she could with a necklace or bracelet. She needed those knives; it was part of who she was. She felt vulnerable without them.

She was about to relieve her parched throat with a glass of water when the inn doors burst open. A breathless villager who was in the trade business stumbled in, out of breath. Everybody stared at him with bewilderment. Sakura raised an eyebrow and waited for the young man to regain his breath. When he did, he shocked everybody. As soon as she heard the news, she ran out of the inn and towards the stables. She didn't know what she was going to do but her feet brought her here. _**No! This can't be happening! Why didn't I foresee this? For God's sake!**_

Her brows furrowed when she found the old man there. He smiled at her sympathetically, "So you've heard the news, huh?" She nodded frantically. The old man sighed, even with his diminished sight; he had always known this girl was different. He took in her flushed figure and knew what he had to do. "I'm going to the market in Rounen to sell my fruits and vegetables, would you like a lift?" Emerald eyes widened when she heard the news and she recalled the young man's breathless exclamation.

"_I have terrible news! Joan d'Arc has been captured and they are planning to execute her today in Rounen!"_

The old man smiled as the girl nodded with excitement, hope returning into her green orbs. She hadn't noticed the reins the old man held in his hand and jumped a horse appeared from the stables when he gently pulled on it. He sat himself in the front which only had enough space for one so Sakura hopped onto the back. She sat on the side of the back and clutched onto the wooden side as the horses set off. As they made their way out of the village, Sakura stared sadly back at it. _**Good thing I just paid the rent for the room. **_She felt the knives on her biceps, hidden by the sleeves of her dress. After the new dress Sasuke had sent her, she received nothing else from him. That's what made her so hopeful that he would leave her alone. She had used the money she had earned to buy new dresses. They weren't as pretty but they didn't remind her on _that _man.

"We'll get there after noon, you'll want to look for a big crowd," said the old man as the horses reached the main road. They met other carts and horses but didn't stop for anyone. Some stared at the girl sitting on the side but didn't voice their opinions. It felt like forever and Sakura was getting tired but when she saw a town in sight, the girl felt energy surge through her. She saw a water fountain and knew from past experiences that would be the town center. There were many people bustling around and she could guess what they were talking about. She also saw guards roaming the place. _**Looking for anybody who would try and stop the execution. **_As they reached the water fountain, Sakura prepared to disembark.

"Drop me off here, I'll find her by myself," she knew she sounded rude but she had no choice. She would search the town faster on foot and she wouldn't attract as much attention. She sighed in relief when the old man nodded his head in understanding. She turned to go but stopped herself so she could say goodbye. "Thank you for looking after me all this time. I truly appreciate it," Sakura said, bowing her head a little. She took the old man's smile as her reply and turned to run in the other direction. She was about to begin her search until she heard something that made her eyes widen in fear.

"Goodbye... Sakura."

The shocked girl whipped her head around in shock but no one was here. The horses and cart was there but no old man. _**Don't tell me... After all this time... Oh God... **_Her pupils had dilated and she felt like throwing up. The bile in her stomach had risen up but shouting stopped her. She turned to see people crowding nearby and she knew who it was. She swallowed her fear and ran towards the crowd. She swiftly made her way through, expertly dodging all the citizens. It was like a tunnel, it felt like forever. But there was an end and when she managed to reach the front, she gasped in horror. Guards were standing semi-circle, acting as a barrier. And inside that semi-circle was God's angel.

She was no longer wearing her proud armor but a simple white gown. She no longer had her sword, she was stripped of everything. Everything apart from a handmade crucifix carved wood, a thin piece of string kept it around her neck. They had tied her to a pillar and the bile rise again when she saw wood spread across the ground. They were going to burn her. They were going to burn her like a witch. Sakura gritted her teeth, there was no way she was going to let this happen. After all this time, she finally had the chance to meet Joan again. She started to step forward and prepared to catch her blades when she made eye contact with Joan. Her brown eyes were tired, the dark bags under them proved that. But they were still full of life, a life that she would never have. They retained contact and the fallen woman realized what Sakura was going to do through her posture. She shook her head, stopping the blade-wielding girl in her tracks. Sakura's eyes widened with confusion. _**What? Why is she stopping me? **_She decided to ignore God's angel until she shook her head again. This time staring Sakura in the eyes at the same time. That did stop Sakura. _**Her eyes... They're seeing through me.**_

She was frozen in her place even as a man lit a thick piece of wood in his hand on fire. She couldn't move as he brought it down to the pile of wood. She was immobile as the flames greedily ate the dry wood. She could only cry as she watched as the red flames engulfed God's angel... and she was gone. Even as the light faded from her brown eyes, she kept staring at Sakura. And even as her head dropped, the smile never left her face. Her mouth opened one last time to mouth something to Sakura. A sob wrecked Sakura as she read the lips of Joan d'Arc one last time before her mouth returned to that smile. The fire soon died out and a guard went to check if she was truly dead. Sakura snarled as she watched the man place two fingers on her neck, checking for her pulse. And only when he turned around did Sakura see all the citizens in tears. They didn't want this either but they could do nothing. Even more tears poured down Sakura's face as the guard drew a hand across his neck. She was dead. God's angel was dead.

Sakura turned around and started walking away. Her hair covered her face but that did not stop the tears from falling. Nobody reprimanded her when she bumped into them, they were as equally as sad. She found herself back at the fountain and sat on the stone. She didn't know what to do, she just felt so empty. Her mind was blank and she couldn't think properly. All she could see was Joan's last words and smile. Then it hit her, Joan's last words was the key. God's angel knew that she was no normal girl and if her visions were true, surely the Lord would have told her about the book of time. _**Her last words...**_

"_May God be with you."_

_**God... The Lord... Jesus Christ... Crucified... THE CRUCIFIX!**_

Narrow eyes observed the town, there was no way she would be allowed anywhere near Joan so she would have to wait. _**But if I wait too long, they will have removed the body by then. I have to get the timing exactly right. I know they will have a change of guards so that will be my only chance. And when I do get the necklace, I will be taken back to... Nihilum. **_Dread flooded her, did she really want to go back? Couldn't she just return to Troyes and live there for the rest of her life? _**And be a normal person? Isn't this the reason he chose me? Because I like this kind of stuff, because I'm sick in that way? **_So with her mind made up, she waited. She slyly made her way back through the crowd, it was a lot thinner now. The citizens had dispersed and many of them were crying. She hid behind a pillar only two four away from the pillar Joan had been tied to. She waited until the right time to strike. Just like _him_, she would abide her time. _**Guess I'm not so different from that monster after all. Heh...**_

She smirked as the guards began to walk away. It was time. Now or never and she couldn't accept the latter. It was almost dark now and nobody was around. They had gone home, either by their own will or by force from the guards. As soon as the guards had completely left, Sakura was completely alone. She knew they would remove her body by tomorrow so this was truly her only chance. She dashed forwards, being careful with her steps. She slowed down as she reached charred body. She swallowed down the rising bile and inwardly smacked herself. _**Man up Sakura! **_Her hands shook as she slowly reached out to touch the blackened crucifix. Luckily, it was not destroyed by the fire even though it was made out of wood. Footsteps caused her to rush and she grabbed the piece of wood.

Relief as well fear spread through her as familiar shadows enveloped her arm. They wrapped around her body and when the new shift of guards arrived at the scene, none of them noticed the missing crucifix.

* * *

She knew she was back, she could feel it. Unwillingly, she opened her emerald eyes and pink caught her eyes. She couldn't help but smile for her hair was back to its natural pink. Her emerald eyes softened, it had been so long since she had pink hair. Two or three years, she couldn't remember.

"Hello, Sakura."

Her breath hitched in her throat, the voice came from behind her. She distracted herself by looking up and saw the sparkling diamonds on the ceiling. She looked in front of her and saw the wall of marble that blocked the tub from sight. How she wished to have a bath right now. But luck was not on her side right now. Had it ever been?

A hand on her shoulder forced her to spin around and she was met with red eyes. She recoiled, not in fear but disgust. "What do you want Sasuke?" she asked bitterly. He sighed at her sour behavior and smirked.

"What I want is that necklace in your hands," he said while pointing to her clenched right hand. She slowly opened it and felt tears building up when she saw the ruined crucifix. She felt anger like never before surge through her. "What do you mean 'no'?" inquired Sasuke with a dangerous aura around him. But Sakura held her ground, this was for Joan.

"You heard me; I won't give it to you. You go and spend two years living in a country you don't really know and is expected to find something that isn't yours!" snarled Sakura, closing her right hand, refusing to let the necklace go. She knew she was treading on ice when she said that but she couldn't back down now.

Sasuke looked at her with a bored face—which was _not _a good sign. He stepped towards her and she naturally stepped backwards. They continued this until her back hit the fall and that's when she prepared to fight. She easily caught the blade and didn't hesitate to go for his eyes. She kept a nonchalant face when he as easily stopped her. What she didn't expect was for him to actually catch the _blade_ and not her hand or the titanium handle. His face was as calm as hers and he didn't show any signs of being in pain even the sharp diamond blade pierced his skin. She watched in horror as blood trickled down his hand, past his wrist and onto his arm.

"Why do you tolerate it?" The rosette stared at his face, acting like she hadn't understood his question. She opened her mouth to question him but he cut her off, "Don't act stupid, you know what I'm talking about. Your skills with the blade are unrivaled, that's achieved through years of personal experience yet you submit to me too easily." Sakura lowered her head and let her pink hair cover her face.

"Why don't you stop acting stupid, Sasuke? You know why I put up with you." He chuckled and pulled the blade from her. She was reluctant to let it go but gave up in the end. He threw the blade onto the marble table and pulled her to him.

"You're right but you need to say it yourself, Sakura. Come on, let it out." And that was the final trigger that set her off. She gripped Sasuke's shirt, clenching it up in her hands.

"I had a family once you know. When I lost them, it felt like somebody stabbed me multiple times and it took me ages to ignore that feeling. I tolerate you because when I'm with you, I feel like I have a family again. Giving me dresses or letting me have a bath has nothing to do with it if that's what you're thinking. It's just that you're the closest thing I have to family and I don't want to lose my family again." Sakura was breathless by the time she finished speaking. She was so tired, she slid down the wall, the marble let her slide down easily. Sasuke went down with her, holding her up so she didn't injure herself as she dropped. She leaned her head against the wall, staring at the ceiling. Tears were running down her face, years of keeping her feelings inside was finally taking its toll. She was whimpering and sobbing, all she could do was bury her face into Sasuke's torso.

He stroked her hair softly. "There, doesn't it feel so much better after you let it all out?" he asked her, knowing what the answer was. She nodded pitifully and she winced at her weak nature. She didn't want to be weak but her emotions were getting the better of her. She spent a good couple of minutes pouring out her feelings and she felt so much better afterwards. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She felt elevated and it was such a good feeling. He stood up and carried her over to the bed. He gently laid her down and placed something on her stomach. She glanced down to see a familiar black book. She sighed and sat up before taking it in her hands. She opened the cover and turned over to the second page. She opened her fist and stared at the necklace one last time before letting it slide off her palm onto the page. A burst of white light blinded Sakura for a moment and when she opened her eyes again, it was gone. The only traces of it ever being there was the sketch of the crucifix. She stared sadly at it. _**Had I decided to go back to Troyes, would I be happy?**_

She received her answer when arms wrapped around her and pushed her down to the bed. "You know, you haven't aged at all." Sakura stared at the black-haired man incredulously and her mouth gaped open.

"What did you say?"

"Sasuke smirked, "Don't make me repeat myself, Sakura." A smile graced her face which turned into a full blown grin. "When you travel through time, something stops you from aging. It's a little present all time-travelers are gifted with after their first trip." Sakura was so happy, she didn't notice Sasuke slyly taking the book from her and placing it on the table next to her blade. Her pressed her down onto the bed and started trailing his mouth up and down her neck. "One more question Sakura," he murmured to her. She was tempted to ignore him and bathe in the feeling of him kissing her but her conscience got the better of her. So she pushed him away and smirked at his annoyed face. She waited for his question and turned red when he asked it.

"Why I didn't let you take my virginity?" she squeaked.

He rolled his now onyx eyes, "You seem to have a bad habit of repeating me, Sakura."

She snorted, "It's not my fault you ask the most ridiculous questions." She ignored his chuckle and proceeded to answer his question. "I may like the feeling of you being next to me but I refused to give you my virginity because that would mean I rely on you completely." He looked at her with fascination. She was slightly worried at the way he looked at her. She shrieked when he pushed her back onto the bed again.

"Good answer Sakura, I think I can call you someone who's on my level now." She gaped at him and would have repeated his sentence had he not looked at her with a knowing glance. She snapped her mouth shut and her mouth extended into a smile.

"You're not such a bad guy Sasuke," said Sakura, her grin back on her face. She regretted her words immediately thought because he smirked at her with such lust and malice, she wanted the cave to open up and swallow her. But like before, luck was not on her side. She didn't need luck because she had Sasuke. So she let him continue kissing her and closed her eyes in content. No longer did she have to worry about Sasuke using her because she knew he needed her. Not only to complete the book but he _needed _her. Her opinions were enforced when Sasuke didn't take advantage of her tired form and stopped before it got too far. He rolled next to her and she stared into his endless black eyes. She would have continued staring if her body had not decided it was time to sleep. So even as her eyes closed, Sasuke continued to look at her. He didn't stare at her with sick fascination or with the kind of expression when a child got a new toy but he looked over her with some sort of kindness. After a while, he finally let his eyes close and when he let sleep overcome him, a genuine smile graced his face.

_You do not need to believe in God to meet an angel. No matter where you go, they are always beside you._

* * *

**DONE! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'VE COMPLETED THIS CHAPTER! This is probably one of the longest chapters I have ever done. Also, I had a period where I didn't have the motivation to write. Is that what they call a writer's block? I'm so happy that I completed this chapter and hope you readers enjoy it as well. I plan to update 'City Of Black And White' fairly soon as well so please wait read it when it comes out.**

**As always, thanks for reading and please review!**

**Ciao!**


	4. The Last Queen

**Hello!**

**It's been a long time! I've just gotten back from a school trip in Thailand. We stayed in tents and it was seriously hot! 30°C and above during daytime. Then it was so cold during the night and I couldn't be bothered to use my sleeping bag. Went kayaking and hiking and visited a local school. It was pretty cool! **

**Busy watching Vampire Prosecutor, it's awesome. Love Yoo Jung In and Min Tae Yeon! Such as cute couple!**

**Credits:  
Nonumaru: For proofreading.**

**Disclaimer:  
I do not own Naruto.**

**Location:  
Alexandria, 30 BC**

**Summary:  
A snake was the reason why the garden of Eden fell yet a snake brought a queen to happiness. She was finally reunited with her lover after death. Sakura is taken into a great queen's last moments. Young this queen may be, she realizes that Sakura is no mere being.**

**_Thoughts_**

* * *

Time Is Running Out: Chapter 3: The Last Queen

Sakura awakened to find herself in a pair of warm arms. She snuggled further in, not awake enough to process what was happening. Her conscience screamed at her to get up but her body was still limp. When the rosette finally mustered enough energy to move her head, she found two onyx eyes staring at her. Sasuke was laying near, staring at her flawless face. Despite being in a cave, it was warm under the sheets. Sakura really didn't want to get up when Sasuke moved off the bed.

The rosette shivered when her source of warmth disappeared and pulled the sheets tighter around herself. She blinked when she felt something being thrown on her. Peering over the sheets she saw a black dress resting over her. It had long flared sleeves specifically made to hide her diamond blades. She grumbled and after a moment of debating, finally threw the covers off and moved from the bed. She was wearing a large, thin tank top and cotton shorts as pajamas that Sasuke had generously given her.

Peridot eyes moved over to the other side of Nihilum where the marble wall was hiding the tub. She heard water running and slowly made her way to it. She slipped behind the marble, dipping her toe into the hot water. She then proceeded to immerse the rest of her body into the tub, sighing as the water relaxed her muscles. Opposite her was the God of Time who was enjoying the water as well. None of them moved from their places, the two just silently stared at each other. The connection between their eyes was intense, as if they were reading each other's every movement. Sakura felt something swell in her chest; you could say that she was happy that Sasuke had confessed his feelings to her being on his level. She knew Sasuke wasn't the type of person who would talk about his feelings easily.

Sakura accepted the raven-haired man's hand as she stepped out of the bath. She frowned at the wrinkles on her fingers due to the long duration spent in the water. She caught the towel thrown at her and quickly dried her body. She wrapped up her wet hair and moved to pick up the dress. She slipped on her undergarments that had somehow mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. The Uchiha was smirking at her. His eyes calculating every move as she stepped into her black dress and easily pulled it up. The rosette didn't say anything as Sasuke moved to tie up the strings and reached for her blades. She first pulled her sleeves back before slipping the titanium bands on. She put one knife in the sheath while the God did the other. The mortal sighed as she caught sight of her hair as she pulled the towel off her head; it had turned black due to Sasuke's powers.

"Thanks," she said as she took the offered apple from the man's hand. She bit into it, smiling when the sweetness ran over her tastebuds. She quickly ate at it, not caring how bad she looked. Soon enough, she had finished her portion and looked greedily at the other half in the Uchiha's hand. He saw her gaze and raised his hand to offer the other remaining part of the apple. She took it, about to take a bite when she caught Sasuke's gaze on her. "What?" she asked through a mouthful of apple. She frowned when he only smirked and gestured for her to finish the fruit before he started explaining. She finished the second half in record time and threw the core at Sasuke. She rolled her emerald eyes when it disappeared before it could even come close to him.

She was about to protest at him for using such methods but his next words stopped her from doing so. "Always treasure the forbidden fruit." Her brows furrowed, but he didn't elaborate his sentence. Instead, he asked something even more confusing. "Do you know the story of Adam and Eve?" Sakura nodded her head. even someone like her who had lived out on the streets knew the story. She had heard it once from another homeless man named Naruto. He had taken care of her and created a strong relationship. They would have continued to be together had it not been for the blonde's premature death caused by a fight gone wrong. The opponent had struck when Naruto's back was turned. She had avenged him, completely decimating the man who had killed her best friend. Now Naruto was buried six feet under.

Her train of thoughts was broken when Sasuke asked her a befuddling question. "What was the reason that the Garden of Eden fell?" Sakura looked at him, trying to decrypt the hidden meaning in his words, but answered him nonetheless.

"The snake tempted Eve to take the apple, so she did..." she answered, then faltered. Why she remembered the apple she had just eaten confused her. **_It was just an apple right? There was nothing special about it. What's he trying to say?_** She didn't have a chance to voice her thoughts, for Sasuke flung her coat at her. Unsuccessfully dodging the fabric from whipping her in the face, she managed to clumsily catch it in a round-a-bout way. The coat was made of a heavy material she wasn't used to catching at a moments notice. She wrapped it around her, tying it at the neck. However, she did manage to catch the book of time. She swore when she realized the book was open, her hand on a blank page. She glared at Sasuke as the black shadows began to envelope her arm. He smirked at her, raising his hand. That was his best impression of a farewell gesture. She rolled her eyes and moved her gaze back to the book, managing to catch a glimpse of the sketch of the crucifix from her time with Joan d'Arc. She smiled sadly at it just as the shadows began enveloping her into an abyss of black. The final thing she saw before she completely disappeared were a pair of red eyes.

* * *

As the shadows released her body, Sakura gained a fuzzy visual of her location. The space was covered in plain brown walls. There were thin mattresses laid all across the ground, and no sight of any tangible floor. Realizing she was in a place where people would come and go, she quickly searched the room. She sighed in relief when she found no one. She placed her hand on the wall next to her and found herself touching the earth. The chunk of wall crumbled at her touch. **_Yep, normal dirt. _**She cleaned her fingers of the dirt and walked around the room. It was dark for there were no lights to be seen. A flash of white caught her eyes; a white linen dress was folded neatly on one of the mattresses.

The unnaturally black-haired girl looked at her garments, she doubted she would match her black dress. Without a second thought, she tried taking the dress off with no avail. **_What the hell! Stupid corset! Why would any idiot make something like this? _**She tried ripping the strings but that didn't work either. With no other choice, she released one of the knives strapped to her arm. Catching it in her hand, she sliced the strings and finally threw the troublesome dress off herself. She almost screamed in frustration when the sleeves wouldn't come off her arms. After a good five minutes, the whole dress was finally on the floor.

She took the linen dress and pulled it over her head. It felt so much lighter compared to the heavy black gown. The linen was held up by two simple shoulder straps and went down to her ankles. She looked at the high-heeled boots Sasuke had given her to go with her dress and frowned. They would definitely stand out as well. She flung them off with more ease than the black dress. Looking around the room, she smiled happily when she found a pair of brown sandals with laces that went all the way up her calves.

Sakura glanced around the room, searching for a place to hide her clothes. In the corner of the room, she found a wooden box. Lifting the lid, she spied a small porcelain jar with a thin roller in it. She lifted the lid and found a black substance in it. It was kind of gooey but more on the solid side. She dipped her finger into it and rubbed it between her thumb and index finger. Putting the container back in the box, the girl picked up another container that was green in color. Inside this one was a turquoise powder much like eyeshadow. The final container was a smaller tin with red ochre that was used as lipstick. The young woman's mind processed everything in a blink of an eye. **_Oh dear Lord, don't tell me I am where I think I am. _**

_Luck's not on your side right now, Sakura dear._

Sakura jumped and her heart rammed against her chest in surprise. She placed a hand over her heart, trying to calm it down. **_Damn you Sasuke! I almost had a heart attack! What would have happened if I had died? _**She could almost hear him snort at her remark.

_You really think I would let you die?_

**_Yes. _**

_Come on Sakura, we went through this last time didn't we? _

Sakura pouted, remembering the little situation she went through with the God of Time. Deciding to ignore the Uchiha, she went back to the wooden box. Unfortunately, the deity wasn't done with her yet.

_Do you even know how to apply that stuff? Even the Egyptians will sense something is suspicious if you come out looking like the Joker. _

Had the Uchiha physically been with her, she would have wrung his neck ages ago. He always knew what buttons to push. **_Please, the Egyptians won't notice a thing. Wait! So I am in Egypt after all? _**She swore she could feel his smirk. She dipped the roller in the black kohl and applied it like eyeliner. It was hard doing it without a mirror but Sakura had done it before. She tried to make the line a bit thicker than she normally would to match the scarce pictures she had seen of the ancient Egyptians. Next, she dipped a finger in the turquoise malachite, gently applying it to her eyelids. Unlike the kohl, she applied less of the earthly material. Finally, she spread the red ochre against her lips to substitute for lipstick.

She would have liked to check her makeup but there was no mirror in sight. Picking up her discarded garments, she placed them in the wooden box. She was careful to place the three porcelain containers above the materials, as to not crush the delicate porcelain. Sakura had just put the lid back on when she heard the door creaking. She desperately looked for a place to hide but found none. As a last resort, she swiftly skidded behind the door. Light flooded the room as the door opened. She put her hand over her mouth, to stop the sound of her breathing that could giving her position away.

She peeked from behind the door and saw a womanly figure in the room. The light outlined her body and Sakura could see from there that she too was wearing a white linen dress. It was too dim to see her facial features, but the woman could see the makeup on her face. She too was wearing the dark kohl, green malachite and red ochre. She inwardly sighed in relief when she realized she got the cosmetics right. It would be easier to fit in then. The woman disappeared after putting an unrecognizable object down on a mattress. She shut the door and the room was once again engulfed in darkness.

The black-haired girl placed her ear against the door. However, when she heard no footsteps, she slowly opened the door. There was light in the halls but it wasn't too bright. Poking her head out, she checked both ends of the corridor. When she was certain that she wasn't going to meet anybody, she cautiously stepped into the hall. She softly shut the door behind her and was struck with a dilemma.

Which way should to go? Right or left?

**_Sasuke? Help! _**Sakura waited for at least a minute before she gave up trying to contact the handsome man. **_Oh, to hell with it! _**Without delay, the woman turned right and started storming down the hall. There were many more doors which she didn't have the courage to open. At the corner, she turned right again. She sighed, knowing that it was going to be a very long time until she found the object.

There was no way for Sakura to count how long she had been walking around the palace for. Luckily, she was wearing comfortable enough sandals so the walk didn't give her much pain. **_Where are all the servants? _**She was sure half an hour had passed when she turned another corner. She held back a scream and stumbled backwards when a flurry of black smashed into her face. She raised her hands to protect herself, finally managing to push back the offending creature. When she was finally free of the assault, she turned to look at the assailant. When she finally caught sight of the culprit, her jaw almost dropped. A small black bird stood in the hallway, staring at her. It's feathers looked sleek and shiny like silk. Its thin little twig-like legs enabled it to hop around. Two spheres of onyx seemed to be its eyes, but Sakura swore she saw a flash of red. She knew exactly who the bird was. "Sasuke," she whispered, mostly to herself. The bird didn't seem to reply but merely hopped away from her. "Ah!" she exclaimed, raising her hand but the feathered creature didn't stop.

"Stupid creature," Sakura muttered to herself as she followed the bird. It was hard to keep track of it because of its size, but the girl persisted. She almost felt sorry for the bird. It had to hop on the ground and couldn't fly. But then she remembered its true form was a cocky, arrogant and stoic god. Because Sakura was so intent on the bird, she didn't take in her surroundings. The bird had abruptly stopped before a corner, causing her to nearly trip. Sasuke in his animal form didn't move, so Sakura guessed that there was trouble she would cause if she continued without caution. She peered around the corner, and even she who was a master of the blades, was frightened. A guard stood outside the door clad in armor. He had assorted weapons with him. One of his hands enveloped a spear and a sword was sheathed on his waist.

Despite being unnerved by the fearsome looking man, she knew she had reached her target. Only someone important would be guarded like that. The feathers on the black bird brushed her shins and she tried her best not to squirm from the feeling. She jumped back behind the wall when she heard another pair of footsteps approaching from the opposite hallway. She watched as the guard at the door started walking towards the sound. Sakura's eyes narrowed. This was her only chance. The guards were about to change shifts and if she didn't take this chance, it was probable that she would be caught.

Taking one last glance at the black bird, she smiled and nodded at it before dashing towards her target. Because she didn't look back, she didn't see the bird's onyx eyes morph into ruby red.

The door was made out of wood, unlike the mud and stone walls. She tried to turn the knob but it didn't budge. The footsteps grew louder and Sakura began to panic. Her animalistic instincts kicked in; she released a diamond blade fromits sheath. She slipped the tip between the door and the wall, trying to budge the lockset. After a minute of fiddling, she succeeded. Her heart accelerated when the footsteps were so close, it was louder than beating heart. In a spur of the moment, she flung herself against the door and it gave way. The girl tumbled through the doorway. With her foot, she slammed the door closed in the nick of time. She moved onto her knees and crawled towards the door. She placed her ear against the wood and sighed heavily when the footsteps stopped outside the door.

She turned and leaned against the door for a moment. She rested an arm on top of her raised knee. Her other leg was straight out, lying on the cold ground. Her unoccupied left arm brushed her forehead of the sweat forming on her temple. That's when she looked at what was in front of her. Stairs made out of the earth led upwards. Her legs were shaky as she stood up, so she used the wooden door as leverage. She placed the blade back into her sheath and made her way to the stairs. They were uneven and Sakura hard quite a hard time climbing them with her simple sandals.

Another door was at the top, this was the one Sakura placed a hand on. She used the least amount of force she could muster and found it moved. **_It's not locked... _**She slowly pushed it open and peered into the room. Her jaw almost hit the ground. It was beautiful...

The room was decorated with natural colors from the earth just like her makeup.

Inside there was a bed, a chaise longue, a table and a chair. The floor was covered in a rug. To be precise, it was a room fit for a queen. Her eyes caught someone on the chaise longue; it was a woman. She was absolutely stunning; luscious black hair and flawless olive skin. She wore a white dress decorated with multiple bright colors. Her arms were covered with jewelry. On her neck was a golden necklace with a precious looking gem. Her head was decorated with a tiara,which depicted standing cobra on it. Her feet donned sandals with laces that went all the way up her legs just like Sakura's.

The black-haired woman seemed to be staring off into space and didn't notice the other black-haired woman standing in the doorway. The woman's dark eyes roamed around the room, jumping when she saw a figure standing in the doorway. She calmed down when she saw the servant uniform, but her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Without hesitation, she grabbed something off the table, pointing it at her intruder. Sakura was shocked by the straightforwardness of the woman and took a step back for security. Throughout this, she remembered her goal and mustered the courage not to back down.

Sakura took a step forward and raised her hands in surrender, as if she was telling the beautiful woman she meant no harm. Unluckily for her, the woman took it the wrong way,raising the snake scepter in her hands even higher. It was gold in material, Sakura's eyes widened in surprise when a knife was pulled out of scepter. The metal tip was directed at the time-traveling girl.

"Who are you?" asked the woman who was previously lying on the chaise longue. Sakura took another step forwards and another and another. Even though the knife was pressed at her neck, the girl didn't back off.

"How dare you not reply to me! I am Cleopatra the seventh, Thea Philopator, the pharaoh of Egypt!" Sakura's peridot eyes widened, so she was this far back in time. She knew from her basic history lessons as a child that Cleopatra the seventh could speak many languages and was well known for her excellence. Because of Sasuke's godly power, she could understand foreign languages. However, she couldn't help but wonder if the queen could speak English. That was something she would never find out though, she couldn't change languages when she was speaking another. It was like speaking English though instead foreign words came out.

"I don't mean any harm, but I'm not someone important to worry yourself about," persuaded Sakura. The queen's brown eyes narrowed even more, but eventually she put the scepter down. First, slipping the knife cleanly into its sheath. Queen Cleopatra sat herself down back onto her chaise longue and sighed.

"I see," said the queen, picking up a goblet to take a swig of drink. "If you are here to kill me, don't think I'm afraid."

Sakura waved her hands frantically, "No, no, no! I'm just looking for something actually."

Cleopatra's brows rose, "Looking for something, as in what?"

"I don't know." The queen shook her head at the strange girl's answer.

"You might want to hurry then, the maids are getting food for me," warned the gorgeous queen.

"Queen Cleopatra, you seem extremely calm about the situation." The dowager smirked,very similar in fact, to the Deity of Time.

"I have adapted to situations much worse than this. However, this is the first time seeing someone like you. You're not from here are you?" Sakura smiled at the irony of the question and shook her head. "Thought so. So, do you have any idea what you are looking for?"

"Something memorable," replied Sakura.

The queen sighed, "And you think the something you are looking for is here." Sakura nodded her head once again. Sakura looked around the room again; despite it's coziness, it was small. Something was wrong. **_Why would a grand queen like Cleopatra the seventh be in a small room like this? Her personal room should be so much bigger. _**

"Your highness, why are you in a room like this?" The pharaoh's eyes widened at the girl's sharp perception. She was definitely not from this land. Cleopatra doubted she was even from this world at all. 30 BC was a time where they believed in Gods and Goddesses.

"I'm afraid of someone, so I've hidden myself in here." Sakura's brows furrowed. When the younger girl showed no signs of understanding, the queen answered her unasked question. "A lover of mine, Mark Anthony. I don't want to face him right now so I'm staying here where he can't reach me."

"Mark Anthony huh?" pondered Sakura. She had heard about him in her youth, but didn't know him nearly as well as the queen in front of her. Sakura opened her mouth to voice another question but was stopped when the sound of footsteps came from behind the door. Three knocks came from the door and Sakura looked around the room frantically. The queen stood up and grabbed the girl's white dress and pushed her under the large bed. Sakura was shaken up by the sudden assault but crawled deeper into the space.

"Enter." Sakura heard the door open and saw a large pair of feet from her space under the bed.

"You called, my queen?"

"Tell Mark Anthony that I have died. That is all," said the queen briefly before dismissing the male messenger.

"At once, my queen," replied the male and kneeled deeply before leaving. Sakura placed her hand over her mouth to stop the gasp of surprise from leaving her. **_What? Why is she doing this? Is she that desperate not to face him again?_** The girl heard the door close and slowly made her way from her hiding space. She brushed down her dress and her hair before looking at the queen. The gentle face was now hard and strict. She had the face of the perfect ruler.

Sakura felt nervous; perhaps it was the feeling of almost being caught. Or was it the queen? She didn't know, but she knew she had to escape the room. "Thank you very much but I have to go now," said Sakura as she bowed to Cleopatra. She turned to leave but the queen's harsh words halted her.

"Stop!"

Sakura halted in her steps and turned back to look at the great woman, "Stay." Green eyes stared into hazel. "Please stay, I don't have much time left." Sakura didn't say anything but sat down on the chair next to the table. Sakura desperately wanted to ask why the queen had limited time, but decided against it. She had a vague idea of what was going to happen anyway. Everyone knew the story of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra.

A good couple of hours had passed until it was dark outside. Sakura could see that through the single small window in the tower. She had learnt of the queen's marriage to her brother, and her affair with the great leader; Julius Caesar. Frankly, she couldn't help but be disgusted by the incestuous relationships the Egyptians had. They both laughed about how she was delivered to Julius Caesar in a rug. She had met Mark Anthony some time after, giving birth to three children. But now, things were different and both of them knew that. Sakura listened tentatively throughout the whole story, staying quiet as well.

Sakura felt awkward as she lay next to the queen who had somewhat ordered that she sleep next to her. She could feel and hear the even breathing coming from the person next to her and knew the dowager was asleep. She turned onto her side and stared at Cleopatra. She was beautiful even in her sleep; Sakura felt a pang of jealously. She knew her timewith the queen had to come to an end for she couldn't stay long. She would have to find the object and leave quickly.

It was morning when the two women were awoken by knocks on the door. Sakura stretched her arms over her head just as Cleopatra rose from her bed. Only then did both comprehend the situation. Sakura rolled off the bed and slid underneath it just as the door opened.

"I apologize for the rudeness, my queen," a soft female voice said. "I have brought a message for you. M-mark Anthony has s-stabbed himself." Sakura could hear the gasp from the queen and fought the urge to remove herself from her place to comfort her.

"Bring him to me! And be quick about it!" ordered the queen in a voice of extreme panic. Sakura saw the servant curtsying lowly before leaving the room. Even though she couldn't see the whole room, Sakura heard a thump from an unknown source. Thinking Cleopatra had fallen, Sakura quickly scrambled to her feet. Fortunately, the queen had just dropped onto the chaise longue, her head in her hands.

Sakura slowly walked over to her to take a seat. She placed an arm around the queenwhile she sobbed. It shocked Sakura to see such a magnificent person showing a vulnerablity like tears. If anything, Cleopatra the seventh was as composed as Sasuke. After five minutes, the sobs had subsided and all Sakura could hear was the queen's deep breathing.

The ruler raised her head and stared sadly into the girl's green eyes. "I believe I have run out of time, strange girl." Sakura's shining eyes widened when she realized she had never given her name. She opened her mouth to say it but the queen placed a finger over her lips. "There is no need. You said it yourself, you aren't playing an important role." Sakura would have laughed if the situation weren't so dire. "I know you're not from this world either," whispered the queen softly. Green eyes widened, her mouth was agape. She tried to say something but couldn't.

"H-How do you know?" she asked after a while of contemplating.

The ruler of Egypt smiled, "Like you, I am different from the norm. My people refer to me as the incarnation of the Goddess Isis. I know all."

Sakura was astounded again at how much the woman knew. Had she met Sasuke once before? She jumped when something cold touched her hand and saw the queen putting the golden snake scepter in her hand. "I believe this is what you are looking for," said the wise woman. Sakura gasped as the shadows burst form the scepter and wrapped themselves around her. Green eyes looked at the queen in panic, but all Cleopatra did was smile. "Farewell Goddess, perhaps we will meet again."

Sakura opened her mouth to say something but it was too late. The shadows had completely covered her. Sakura felt the tears coming, she wanted to explain, she couldn't leave just like that. Even though she was covered in the dark shadows, she reached out towards the queen. She jumped when she felt a warm presence touch her hand. It turned her tears of pain turned into tears of joy.

**_Thank you, Queen Cleopatra. For helping me, for accepting me even though you're in a terrible situation yourself. _**

The beautiful queen watched as the girl disappeared into the black shadows. She sighed, "So much hassle." She rested on her chaise longue and stared out of the window. The rising sun was absolutely stunning. "Soon my love, we will be reunited." She had had many lovers; but this time, she felt something. She knew their time was coming to an end and in reality, she was happy. No one, not her people nor their enemies could stop them. They would be together forever. Pharaoh Cleopatra, the seventh Thea Philopator, smiled a genuine smile, something she hadn't done until she met Mark Anthony.

* * *

Sakura gasped as the shadows released her. She fell to her knees, gasping for air. It wasn't that she couldn't breathe. However, the journey had caused her to be winded.

"Wasn't that quick? Just two days." Sakura raised her head to find red eyes staring at her. She was back in Nihilum. Large hands pulled her back up to her feet and placed her on the bed. Sakura looked down at her right hand and saw the golden snake scepter in her hands.

"You know, you could have just given me the appropriate clothes instead of a frock that would have made me stand out." The Uchiha just smirked and tossed the book of time at her. She caught it with her free hand and dropped it on the bed.

"If I had given you the correct clothes, you would have completed the next page too quickly."

Sakura gaped, "You did all of that just so I would take more time?"

The God smiled a fake innocent smile, "Yep." Sakura snorted, grabbing one of her diamonds blades to throw at him. He caught it with ease and threw it back at her. She released the other knife, blocking the oncoming blade. She caught the deflected blade before it hit the ground and put both weapons back in their sheaths.

Occupied with the task at hand, she didn't notice the Uchiha approaching. She jumped when she found herself face to face with the God. He raised a hand and ran it through her hair. It was then she realized her hair had returned to its normal pink color. She sighed in content as Sasuke pushed her back onto the bed and started attacking her neck.

As he assaulted her neck, he slyly slipped the scepter out of her grip. With the same hand, he opened the thin book and carefully placed the object onto the blank page. White light covered the paper and when it died down, a sketch of the very same snake scepter lay there. The Uchiha then closed the book, tossing it onto the marble table to make more room on the bed. Sakura was so occupied with the Uchiha kissing her she didn't attemptto stop him. Her green eyes closed in content as she wrapped her arms around the God of time. One day, if she could, she would meet the last queen of Egypt once again... with or without Sasuke's help.

_Sometimes, dying is a good thing. Nobody can stop you when you're dead._

* * *

**I finished the next chapter in two days! Congratulate me people! I hope you like this chapter. And as always, read and review!**

**Oh, by the way, I changed my username from 'sakura2733' to 'Chaos' Ace'. **

**Ciao!**


	5. Unknown

**Hello! **

**Welcome to the fifth chapter of 'Time Is Running Out'. I think this is going to be a long chapter, so hold on (and grab a soda and some popcorn). I'm sure all the chapters don't have all the correct historical facts but that doesn't matter much. **

**Credits:  
****Nonumaru: For proofreading.**

**Disclaimer:  
****I do not own Naruto.**

**Location:  
****Whitechapel, 1888**

**Summary:  
****To this day, an unknown murderer has still not been uncovered. Sakura is taken back to old England where a serial killer is on the loose. She befriends one of his victims but realizes her mistake too late. What will Sakura do when she is his next target?**

**_Thoughts_**

* * *

Time Is Running Out: Chapter 4: Unknown

"I really hate having black hair."

Sakura stared at her unnaturally colored hair with obvious distaste. She clucked in disgustthen turned to slip her Victorian style dress on. It was like the ones before, but black in color this time. The long flared sleeves allowed her to release her blades with ease. It was tied up at the back with strings that were much like acorset. Unknowingly to any stranger who passed her, she wore a black cotton tank top and boxers underneath. **_Just incase I need to run, there's no way I would be able to run in this thing. _**The girl sighed when she felt hands at the back of her dress. "Thanks," she muttered to the smirking deity who obviously knew her current thoughts. He stepped back when he was finished and admired his handiwork. The mortal girl turned around to stare at him with a raised eyebrow. "Quit staring, Uchiha."

Said man snorted, "Since when are we on last name terms Sakura?" She pouted and stuck her tongue out at him. The tongue immediately retracted when Sasuke made a motion to bite at it. She turned around to the bed to pick up an old looking book. The book of time now had three of its pages filled.

"Five more to go," said Sakura, using her thumb to flip the book open. Heremerald eyes stared at the three pages covered in sketches. Each page depicted a separate sketch. One was of a handkerchief from Adolf Hitler, another, a crucifix from Joan d'Arc and finally the scepter from Cleopatra IV. It was then a sudden wave of unhappiness swept through Sakura. What would happen to her when she completed the book? She was about to go through various potential worst-case scenarios in her head when something was tossed at the black-haired girl. Sakura fumbled with it before it stopped at a standstill in her palms. It was a small leather pocketbook bound tight with rope. After carefully opening it, she spotted coins of different shapes and sizes in it. She emptied a few into her hand and observed them.

"Pounds, shillings and pence," Sasuke said, answering her unasked question. Her sharp mind immediately knew where she was off to.

"England?"

Sasuke smirked and nodded. He approached her from behind and put his arms aroundher neck to reach the book. He placed his finger on the page, ready to turn it over to the next blank page. "Ready?" he asked her. Without waiting for an answer, he flipped the page over and moved Sakura's hand to touch the page. Black shadows immediately burst from the book and enveloped Sakura's hand. The tendrils traveled up her arm to start wrapping around her body. Sasuke released her but not before giving her a farewell kiss.

* * *

Before she even opened her eyes, Sakura felt an uneven ground underneath her feet. She opened her eyes to find herself standing on a cobbled pavement. She guessed it was nighttime, for it was dark and the streetlights were on. Her emerald eyes stared at the lampposts; they were black and old-fashioned. **_They look like something out of the Victorian era. _**Suddenly she jumped when something black and furry brushed past her. Her eyes darted to see the offending source and her eyes bulged when she saw a horse right next to her. It was dragging a closed carriage next to it, also black. She watched as the door opened and two figures exited. One wore a dress very much like Sakura's, the other wearing a black suit; a top hat sat on his head smartly. The man offered a hand to the woman as she stepped out of the carriage. **_Oh, this is the Victorian era. Dear Lord, please save me. Never in my life did I kick a puppy... _**

_Don't be so pessimistic Sakura. We've got work to do._

Sakura tried not to jump when she heard the familiar voice in her head. **_You mean I've got work. You're probably on the bed, resting your lazy ass. _**She moved over to the very edge of the pavement, almost pressing up against the building so as to not block people from walking. She cursed, scolding herself for not taking her cloak with her. Despite that, the dress she wore enabled her to blend in without a problem. **_Now what, Sasuke? At least give me a clue for what I should be looking for?_**

She swore she felt him smirking from Nihilum. _You've managed by yourself previous times, why not this time?_

**_The other times it was easy. Adolf Hitler found me, as did Joan d'Arc. In addition, Queen Cleopatra was easy to find since I happened to arrive in a very Egyptian palace. _**Luckily it was dark enough that no one saw the strange girl making weird faces at nothing in particular. Currently, she was leaning against the building, waiting for instructions. It was silent for a while, so Sakura stuck to observing her unique surroundings. People were walking to and fro, minding their own business. The street was cluttered so no one noticed another girl leaning on a wall. Emerald eyes spotted a group of females standing in a cluster. They were wearing dresses ripped up in a haphazard fashion. **_Prostitutes... _**

Out of the group of girls, one really stood out. She had flaming red hair and looked no older than twenty. Her expression was similar to her friends, but there was something in her eyes, a flame of persistence. Her train of thought was derailed when Sasuke's voice returned to her head._ Find an inn called 'The Black Virtue'. Rent a room and wait. _Sakura was about to question his vague order but she felt the connection break.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Stupid idiot," she muttered under her breath. However, instead of moping, she set off to find this strange inn. She was in luck. Just two streets away, there was a sign stating that 'The Black Virtue was the best inn for miles'. It only just came to her awareness then that she could'vepossibly walked the whole night without finding the inn. **_Thank you so much whatever god is up there. _**

She pushed the stiff door open and walked into the inn. It was much warmer inside, for there was a roaring fire in the lobby area. She looked around and found at the main bar a black-haired man cleaning a glass with a dirty rag. She furrowed her brows, staring worriedly at the cloth. **_That cloth is probably saturated with bacteria. It looks like I'm not getting a drink here. _**The barman looked like he was in this thirties and he looked up when he heard the door open. He raised an eyebrow at the peculiar woman entering his inn. It wasn't that she was a lone female, but most lone females were prostitutes. Some of the richest women usually had men accompany them so they wouldn't become targets to assault.

Oh well. It wasn't like it was his business anyway, all he had to do was provide rooms and serve drinks and sometimes meals. He kept a straight face as the women walked towards him; she was wearing a black dress with long sleeves. She looked ordinary. It was just the way she held herself that threw people off. It was like she feared nothing. When she reached the bar, she wasn't surprised at all with the words that came out of her mouth. "Can I rent a room please?"

Immediately, the barman answered professionally, "For how long?"

That question got Sakura thinking. She too didn't know so she came up with the next best thing. "I don't know. Can I just pay by the day?"

The man nodded and held out his hand, "Ten shillings then." Sakura took out a small bag from her sleeves and rummaged around, trying to find the appropriate coins. In the end, she placed ten littlest coins in the man's outstretched hand. He was eyeing her moneybag curiously, and when Sakura noticed,she immediately put it away. She accepted the key and walked in the direction of the rooms.

She thought about the barman as she walked. He didn't seem fazed that a lone woman walked into his inn and was not a prostitute. She brushed it off and looked at the label on her key. '07' was engraved onto it and she eyed the doors she passed, waiting for the correct one. "Four... Five... Six... Se—here we go," she said to herself, stopping when she found the correct door. She slipped the key into the lock and turned, it was stiff but eventually yielded. She turned the knob and entered the room.

It was dark and there was no light to be found. The only source of light was an oil lamp that had yet to be lit. She fumbled around and in the draw the lamp was on, there a box of matches rested. She opened it and scratched one against the rough side. The match caught fire and she held it near the oil lamp. It caught the flame and brightened the room by a bit. She picked up the handle and walked around the room, observing what she had. She went back to the door and locked it, slipping the key into her bra. When she found another door and opened it, she found a wooden tub but no tap for water. **_Where do I get water then? _**Her questions were answered when a knock on her door was heard. She sighed in annoyance and took the key out again. When she opened the door, it was the barman with two buckets in each hand.

"Hot water is delivered every night at this time," said the barman. He held out a bucket for her and she took it graciously. It was heavy but Sakura refused for the chance of having a hot bath slip away. "I'll close the door for you," offered the man kindly. Sakura smiled in thanks and the man chuckled as the closed the door behind him. As soon as the door closed behind her, she set the bucket down and re-locked the door. This time, she kept the key in her palms knowing she had to undress soon. She lugged the bucket into the bathroom and poured the water into the tub. She sighed in content when she saw the steam rise from the hot water. She walked back into her room, looking for a towel to dry herself with later. She found one on her bed and draped it over her arm. In the corner of her eye, she saw a window above her bed. She frowned, the glass looked fragile. Anyone could break it. She decided then that she would always keep her knives strapped to her even when she was sleeping.

So with key still in hand, she re-entered the bathroom and groaned when she realized she would have to struggle with her dress. She first shook the sleeves off then the rest of it came off easily. She then unstrapped her weapons and placed them with her room key on a chair next to the tub. She then proceeded to take the rest of her undergarments off and a sigh of relief escaped her when she stepped into the hot water.

Only her head was spared from the scathingly hot water. **_Damn, I need to bring toiletries next time. Oh my god, I don't have a toothbrush... _**She inwardly wailed and threw her hands into the water. She squinted as the water splashed into her face. She would have stayed inside had the water not began to cool down. She grudgingly stepped out and quickly wrapped the towel around her exposed body. She frowned as her wet hair plastered onto her shoulders. After she dried her body, she created a turban to hold her hair in. **_Should I stay in or go out? _**Sakura peeked outside the foggy window and saw that the streets were still busy. **_It can't be that late. The sooner I start looking, the faster I can go back. _**So ultimately, Sakura had to put the dress back with a lot of difficulty. Without Sasuke to help her, she almost fell over trying to tie the corset up.

Slipping her shoes back on—boots with only a bit of a heel—Sakura made her way back to the lobby; but not before strapping on her blades, killing the lamp, pouring the cold water down the drain in the corner of the room, and locking the door. She discreetly slipped the key back into her bra.

When she reached the lobby, there was no one at the bar so she just walked out of the inn. **_I don't need to tell him I'm leaving do I? Nope, don't think so. _**The door squeaked once again as she opened it and stepped into the cool air. **_Better walk around and get use to the area if I want to find a certain person. _**She kept to the pavement, knowing she had to if she didn't want a horse to run her over. Now she really wished she had her cloak with her. It was absolutely freezing. **_Ah, it's so dark; why can't the lights be brighter?_**

_Stay within the shadows, Sakura. _

Said woman jumped, even though she recognized the voice, the content made her shiver. He sounded so sinister, an actual warning. She continued walking around, observing all the buildings. She was so engrossed in what she found, she didn't notice someone walking into her until too late. She stumbled backwards and thanked the gods that no one was walking directly behind her. She looked at the obstacle she had just bumped into and her heart jumped. It was the same redhead from before. She too was looking disgruntled and stumbled backwards. "Sorry," Sakura quietly muttered to her. The redhead looked surprised, like this was the first time someone had apologized to her.

"I'm sorry," replied the stranger. "I wasn't watching where I was going." She dusted down her ripped dress and Sakura realized why she was so surprised. No one apologized to prostitutes. No one cared for them. Everybody treated them like rag dolls.

Sakura brows furrowed sympathetically. "I'm Cherrie," said Sakura, remembering to use her fake name. The other girl's eyes widened even more when Sakura stuck out a hand for her to shake. She reluctantly took it and shook it slowly.

"Mary," said the redhead, introducing herself. Mary smiled and suddenly glanced at the sky. It was pitch black now, "I really have to go." She smiled one last time before rushing off past her. Sakura stared at the retreating girl and sighed. She too decided it was getting late and turned back to return to the Black Virtue.

Ten minutes and she was already facing the front of the inn. She pushed open the door and the first thing she saw was the black-haired barman. He noticed her as well when she entered. She smiled and headed back to her room. "Apple?" he offered her, holding the red fruit out to her. She stared at it uncertainly when her stomach rumbled. She blushed and took it gratefully.

When she reached her door, she slipped the key out of its hiding place. She slipped the key in and unlocked the door. When she entered the room, the first thing she did was lock the door behind her. She sighed as her limbs protested from all the walking and begged for rest. She sighed and struggled with her dress again. She fell onto her bed only wearing her undergarments. She kept her blades strapped onto her arms and kept the key tucked in her cleavage.

She was reluctant to fall asleep when the defenses in her room were so weak. But her body worked against her and once her eyes closed, they didn't open until the morning came.

* * *

The bright rays from the sun forced Sakura to open her eyes. She saw a blur of color that she did not see yesterday on the drawer next to her and she immediately reacted. Her right hand automatically caught the blade and she bared it, ready to strike. Her nerves calmed down when she saw what the probable attacker was. It was a new dress, a black one just like her old one as to not rouse suspicion. Neatly folded on them were a new set of undergarments, a toothbrush, a small tube of toothpaste, a smell bottle of roll-on deodorant and two bottles of shampoo and conditioner. She laughed lightly, knowing exactly where the many luxuries came from.

She inwardly celebrated and grabbed the deodorant and toothbrush and ran to the bathroom. She stripped out of the clothes she was currently wearing and uncapped the deodorant. She spread it on the appropriate places and picked up the toothbrush. She looked around for some water to dampen her brush. There was no sink in the bathroom and there was definitely no bottle around. She was about to go to the lobby when she heard knocking from the door. She quickly grabbed the key and only when it opened did she realize she wasn't wearing anything. She wrapped her arms around herself and breathed a sigh of relief when no one was there. She closed the door just so her head was sticking out and she glanced down the halls. When she found no one, she looked down and saw a small glass of water sitting in front of the door. She picked it up and brought it into her room.

She winced when she realized the glass was most likely cleaned with a cloth filled with bacteria. Ignoring the fact, she dipped her toothbrush in and squeezed an appropriate amount of toothpaste on it. She stuck it in her most and held it there as she screwed the cap back on. Deciding the deodorant had enough time to dry, she stared putting on her clean undergarments. She snickered when she saw that Sasuke had given her black clothes again. She then proceeded to brush her teeth until they sparkled. Realizing there was no sink to spit in, she took a big gulp of water, rinsed her mouth and let it trickle back in the glass. She smiled when her mouth felt fresh and clean. "I love toothpaste," she muttered to herself.

After struggling with her dress, she exited the room. She massaged her tired arms that carried the blades all night. They were tight on her arms and she felt it. **_That's so going to leave a mark. _**For the nth time, she locked the door and placed it in her bra.

"Good morning," greeted the barman as she walked by. She replied and waved before tossing another ten shillings onto the bar. He picked it up and decrypted the message. He nodded and placed the two coins in his apron pocket.

It was much warmer outside than last night. The sun shined brightly and generously gave out warmth. But something was wrong, the atmosphere was wrong. People were silent, and even the horses seemed to be making as little sounds as possible. There were many people walking away from one direction and Sakura felt that if she wanted to get anything done, she would have to walk into the fray. She stuck by the walls. This was so she would not be run over by the citizens who were walking in the opposite direction.

She gritted her teeth and with one last push, she reached her destination. She saw that cops wearing black uniforms with those weird looking helmets were blocking something off. Trying to get to the front, Sakura grumbled when people refused to budge. There she saw a body, a body covered in blood. She gasped when she saw who it was, someone she saw yesterday. Red dyed her hair and the rest of her body. It ruined her natural blond hair.

She was one of the prostitutes from yesterday who was with Mary. A knife hadmangled her body. However, this particular item was not present at the crime scene. From what Sakura could see, bits of her body and organs were missing. It truly was a disgusting sight. Looking around her, Sakura saw the horrified faces of the citizens of Whitechapel. Then it hit her. **_Whitechapel? Horrifying murders? Oh no... this can only mean one thing._**

**_I'm in the time of Jack the Ripper. _**

Trying not to hyperventilate on the spot, Sakura placed a hand over her heart, to try to calm herself down. She reacted badly when she saw a flash of red next to her. Ready to defend herself, she stopped herself when she saw who it was. "Mary," she whispered, sympathy overcoming her. The redhead heard her name being called and her eyes widened when she saw the source of the voice.

"Cherrie," she replied, also whispering. She looked like she was about to cry, tears building up along her waterline. Sakura grabbed her arm and started pulling her back towards the inn.

"Come on, we shouldn't stay her," Mary didn't say anything and let herself be dragged along. Sakura tried her best not to break into a run and both were breathless when they reached the Black Virtue. People stared when two girls burst in, gasping for breath. Sakura immediately went to the barman and ordered two glasses of water. The black-haired man raised an eyebrow but did as he was requested. Sakura swiftly took the glasses and walked over to Mary who was shaking. The black-haired girl placed the glasses on the table and gently guided the redhead to a chair. Mary collapsed on it and tears ran down her face. She gripped the glass Sakura pushed over to her. Shakily, she brought the glass up to her lips and took a small sip before setting it down. All the time she did, Sakura was ready to catch the glass incase the girl with flaming red hair dropped it.

Sakura sighed in relief when Mary seemed to be calming down quickly. "Can you tell me what that was about?" Mary who had blue eyes stared at her incredulously.

"You mean you don't know what's been happening?" The confusion changed to understanding and pity when Sakura told her she had just moved to Whitechapel from 'very far away'. Taking a deep breath, Mary started her story. "There's this serial killer who's been targeting people like me." Sakura knew when she said, 'me' she meant prostitutes. And indeed, Sakura knew what was happening needed the prostitute to calm down and talking was a form of doing that.

**_There may be a slight chance that she's the person I'm looking for but what I'm worried about is there's also a chance that Jack the Ripper is who Sasuke wants me to meet. _**She needed to get closer to Mary and find out the truth. She stood up and took the two empty glasses back to the bar. "Thanks," she said to the barman who just nodded. His black eyes continued to watch Mary cautiously. Sakura ignored this and returned back to the redhead.

"Where are we going?" asked Mary when Sakura stated that they were going out. Sakura merely placed a finger over her slips and smiled a secretive smile. It was a great relief for Mary when Sakura walked in the opposite direction of the crime scene. Sakura took one last look in the direction where her friend had died and wiped her eyes one last time. She jogged to keep up with the girl she had met just yesterday. She didn't know much about the black-haired women but she was sure kind.

Sakura on the other-hand was trying to find a specific building. She had passed by it yesterday and knew it would be a good distraction for Mary. She smiled when they reached it and Mary stared with wide eyes when she saw what they were outside. It was an art gallery, but it was the most expensive attraction in Whitechapel. She wanted to ask her companion how they were going to enter when Sakura took out a small bag from one of her long sleeves. Mary's eyes widened when she saw exactly how much money was in the bag. She watched as the girl wearing black took out enough money and gave it over to the man who was in charge of letting people it. He too stared at the money and then again at the girl. He jumped when Sakura cleared her throat and he sheepishly pulled the door open for her. He stared disgustedly at the women who he recognized as a prostitute. He immediately backpedalled when the rich woman sternly said, "She's with me." The man knew better than to talk back to people with money so with great reluctance, he held the door open for the redhead.

The two women spent a good part of the day walking through the large museum. There were five floors all together. They contained many pieces of art in each. They laughed at some, ignoring the looks of disgusted couples that eyed Mary with the same emotion as the doorman. However, they backed off when the other women gave them a glare that had them cowering.

When the two exited, the sun was setting and shades of red painted the sky. "Do you mind if we go somewhere?" asked Mary, smiling like never before. She grinned when her companion agreed. She took her hand and led her away from the inn. They walked a bit more until they arrived at the destination, which happened to be a park.

They walked along the gravel path until they stopped at a single bench. They sat down and stared at the pond which hosted a raft of ducks. The setting sun reflected onto the water and it was absolutely stunning. She was so entranced that she didn't notice Mary staring at her with an unknown expression. The redhead reached at her neck and pulled something up. Sakura blinked when a small coin was placed in front of her. Sakura looked at the small object, it was red. It was a shade that matched Mary's hair. The women smiled sadly, "My only momentum of my family." Sakura didn't say anything, she already understood. Mary had no family.

"It's beautiful, treasure it well," replied Sakura, smiling. She then returned her attention to the pond and closed her eyes. She inhaled deeply and felt her mind drift away. Her mind was so far away that she almost didn't catch the feeling of something crawling up the sleeve, _almost_. Her eyes snapped open and she let out a cry of horror when she caught the culprit. It was Mary. Sakura realized what she was searching for, her money.

The redhead flinched when she heard the cry. She wanted to apologize but she couldn't. She was just a prostitute, she needed the money and this women—it wouldn't affect her would it? So why did she feel so guilty when she was caught red-handed. Sakura watched as the hand retracted and clenched into a fist. "Sorry," was the only thing Sakura heard before Mary dashed off, and never looked back.

Sakura rose to catch the women but she missed her wrist by a hair. The black-haired women's eyes softened and she felt tears building up. She knew Mary didn't have much money but she didn't seem like the person who would steal, or at least steal from someone who had been kind to her.

She clenched her teeth and her eyes narrowed. She debated over going to find the thief or let it go. She chose the latter and began to walk back in the direction she came from. Her hair covered her angry eyes. **_After I helped her, she still tried to do that. Why does everybody leave me in the end? _**

Sakura was so engrossed in her thoughts, she didn't see a pair of eyes watching her every movement since Mary ran off. A smirk graced the face the eyes belonged to. "_They_ will be my next victims."

* * *

Sakura stabbed at her food with her fork. She was in no mood to eat but she had to if she wanted to stay strong and healthy. She eyed her glass of water and sighed. She was tempted to buy something stronger but she couldn't afford being drunk at this time. She was currently sitting at the bar alone. She watched the barman serving other guests and sighed again. "Shouldn't have gotten my hopes up, knew it wasn't going to be easy." She finished her meal and was about to mope in her room when the barman stopped her.

"Remember to bring down the glass tomorrow," he said before disappearing to handle a bunch of people who had just arrived in his inn. Sakura didn't reply and continued her journey to her room. She locked it after she entered and fell onto her bed. She wanted to sigh again but restrained herself. "Sasuke," she said out loud, "I really need your help right now." No reply. **_Of course there's reply, he never does. _**Sakura raised her head with the intention to light the oil lamp where she caught a pair of eyes staring through the window. She stumbled backwards and almost fell off the bed. She stabled herself and was about to drop a knife when the piercing black eyes disappeared. **_Those eyes, don't tell me—they're Sasuke's. _**

Fumbling, she grabbed the box of matches and lit the oil lamp. She was shaking with fear; yes, Sakura was scared. **_It can't be Sasuke. He would never do this. But... What do I know about him; he's lived for centuries, he could have done anything. _**Shaking, Sakura almost hit the ceiling when she heard a knock. She clutched her chest when she realized someone was knocking at her door. She hoped it was the barman, and she was right. He held out a bucket to here and frowned when he saw her pale face. "I'm fine," she answered him when he asked her if she was alright. She made sure to lock the door after he left.

Sakura was hesitant to take a bath but she argued with herself that a hot bath would calm her down and get rid of the paranoia. So as she took her bath, her knives her in reaching distance. She glanced nervously at the window as she exited the bathroom only wearing her undergarments. She was tempted to wear her dress but it would be too hot then. The women lay on the bed, wondering if she would get any sleep. Surprisingly, she was easily seduced was sleep and soon enough, she was in a deep sleep. But never did her body actually relax, ready to fight within a moment of notice.

Nausea plagued Sakura's stomach as she awakened. She wondered if her menstrual cycle had begun, but that was impossible. She had just went through it, there was no way she was going to ever forget that embarrassing experience with Sasuke. So if it was the dread period and she was sick, it would only be _that_. Her intuition screamed at her and she tried to block it but it was impossible to ignore the truth.

She jumped off her bed and ran towards the door, growling in frustration when she forgot to unlock. She contemplated about kicking in down or using the key; in the end, she grabbed the key. She ran through the lobby, ignoring the stares the barman and guests gave her and she pushed through the doors. "Sorry," she said to a few people she pushed by, not really meaning it. In any other occasion, she would have rolled her eyes at their muttering behind her back but this wasn't any other occasion.

The dread in her stomach worsened even more when she saw a crowd a few buildings away. She pushed through the waves of people, not regretting the use of her elbows. She persisted until she reached the front of the crowd and almost threw up at the sigh.

Even Sakura could see the blood staining her flaming red hair. Her chest had a gaping hole in it and Sakura could see that it was missing a vital organ. Her gaze move down and saw that there was another hole where her stomach should have been. Only then did the history books and Halloween stories come back to her. She was Jack the Ripper's fifth and final victim, Mary Jane Kelly. Sakura almost fell to her knees but she caught herself before that could happen. Emerald eyes saw policemen everywhere, taking notes of the scene. Sakura couldn't be there any longer. Seeing one was bad enough but Mary. She rushed away, pushing back through the crowd. She swore she heard someone saying, "Not again." But she paid no attention, intent on getting back to the inn without having a mental breakdown.

Tears were streaming down her face as she entered the Black Virtue. She said nothing and ran up to her room. They key seemed to want to make her life living hell by not fitting into the keyhole. When it did, Sakura pushed the door open and furiously threw the key onto the floor. She kicked the door so it would shut and fell onto her bed. She started sobbing and felt bile moving up her throat. She held it down though, not wanting to through up. Sakura placed a hand over her heart and started to even out her breathing. She had just calmed down when her door burst open; it was the barman.

"Get out."

Sakura stared, "What?" She was bewildered, what was happening? She stared at the man, wondering if he had gotten the wrong room. But there was no mistake in his black eyes. He stared at her strangely, almost angry but there was something else, was that a hint of smugness?

"You heard me, get out," ordered the man. "Another tenant needs this room."

Sakura gaped, "But I paid for this room."

The barman shrugged, "This person obviously needed it more if he's willing to pay twice the normal price."

Sakura fumed and was ready to slice his eyes out when a vision of Mary appeared in her head. So without argument, Sakura stormed out of the room, not bothering to pick the key up. **_He can do that himself, the pompous bastard. And all this time, I thought he was a nice man. Fuck him..._**

She wasn't go to risk all that again by going to another inn and she doubted there was going to be one for miles. So she went to the place that she felt was the safest; the park Mary had taken her to. In reality, it was the least safe. No protection and anyone could try to do something to her. But in Sakura's state of mind, she wanted to be near Mary.

Darkness ruled Whitechapel now; the sun had fallen ages ago. But Sakura easily found the bench where she had sat yesterday. She lay down and felt the tears slide down her cheeks. She closed her eyes, not caring if someone stabbed her right now. She just wanted to sleep and was going to—her eyes were about to close—when a piercing scream filled the air.

Emerald orbs jolted open and she rolled of the bench. She automatically caught the two blades and looked around. There was no one and she saw people running towards a certain direction. **_You have got to be kidding me... _**She started running, overtaking everybody in front of her. She skidded outside a familiar looking building.

There was a crowd outside the Black Inn but there was nothing on the pavement. People were pushing to get inside and the police were having a hard time keeping the citizens back. Sakura glanced up to see bloody hands hanging out of a broken window and she paled. That was her old room. **_What's going on here? Don't tell me I would have been the next victim had I stayed in that room. Then... That barman! _**She pictured the man in her head, black hair and black _eyes. _But his personality had been so different. But then, the Sasuke she knew now had one hundred years to change his attitude. Since she couldn't slip in without being caught, she tried to find the black-haired man, wanting to confirm her suspicions. She tried looking for a man being questioned by a policeman but there was no one like that. He was not in the Black Virtue.

She was about to cry in frustration when somebody pushed back her. She turned to snap at that person but she caught sight of a very familiar smirk. Her arm shot out to catch him but he had disappeared into the crowd. For the third time, she pushed through the crowd, ignoring the angry protests. She had finally escaped the mob when something fell out of her sleeve. She looked down to see that her leather money bag on the ground. She bent down to pick it up and frowned at its weight. She thought it would have been empty since that incident with Mary but nothing had changed. Sakura carefully opened it, and gasped when she saw what was inside. Within the pounds, shillings and pence lay Mary's red coin.

**_Isn't this...? _**She was about to pick it up when something stopped her. This was the object she needed wasn't it? This was the object that would bring her back to Nihilum. Sakura looked around and realized this would not be a good place to disappear; in front of a whole crowd of witnesses. Quickly dashing into a dark alley, her mind processed what had just happened. Sasuke, who had been the barman all this time had saved her from a serial murderer and Mary who had indeed tried to steal her money had placed her only family momentum in at the last second as an apology. The black-haired girl took a deep breath and shuddered as her breath shook as she released it.

Sakura closed her eyes and dug her fingers into the coins. She knew she had touched the coin because she felt the shadows traveling up her arm. She opened her eyes one last time to see the Black Virtue in her line of sight, people still trying to catch a glimpse of the mutilated body. **_Mary, I am so sorry. I could have saved you... _**

And as she finally disappeared with the shadows, Sakura never did notice black eyes staring at her. Those black eyes that belonged to the barman but also belonged to the infamous Jack the Ripper.

"Hn, it is quite tiresome being two people at the same time."

* * *

Pink was the first thing Sakura's emerald orbs saw when she opened her eyes. She cried in joy when she caught sight of her tangible hair again. She was interrupted when she heard a familiar voice chuckling. She spun around to see Sasuke leaning against the marble wall that hid the bathroom.

Sakura's face broke into a smile and she lunged at the Time God. He caught her in his embrace and nuzzled her hair. She blushed when he inhaled deeply and chuckled, "Long time no see, Sakura."

Sakura's smile dropped from her face and she held out her hand and opened her palm. Sasuke stared unsurprised at the red coin in her hand. He wordlessly passed her the book of time with fourth blank page staring at her. She bit her lip as she placed the object on the book and closed her eyes momentarily as white light blinded her. When she could see again, the object had disappeared—like always—and a sketch remained. It was an exact replica of the coin, the details were so intricate; Sakura could see no differences.

Thinking of it no more, Sakura shut the book and passed it back to Sasuke. Turning back to the young looking man, Sakura asked, "Exactly how many forms do you have?"

Sasuke smirked back at her, "I am the beginning Sakura. I have an unlimited amount of forms." She didn't press any further but surprisingly; it was Sasuke who continued talking. "Being the God of Time has its advantages. It's so helpful when you can speed up and slow down time." That caught Sakura's attention and he smirked at her newfound interest. Out of nowhere, Sasuke conjured something in his hands. Sakura peered at it, it was a closed flower; it had yet to bloom. He held it out to her as in offering it but slowly, it started opening and red could be seen. The flower soon bloomed in a matter of seconds. Sakura stared at the now-mature rose with an expression of disbelief. She knew Sasuke could travel through time and have different forms but she expect him to have this much power.

She inwardly smacked herself. **_Of course he would have this much power, he's a god for Heaven's sake. _**She sighed and without further ado, slipped out of her dress. Sasuke seemed impressed with her lack of struggle with it. She grabbed her makeshift pajamas off the table and put them on in record time. She flopped onto the bed ungracefully and closed her eyes. After a while with a hand over her eyes, Sakura asked, "Sasuke?"

He smirked; he knew exactly what she was going to say. "Hn?"

She opened her eyes and turned to stare at him. There were a mixture of emotions in her eyes, happiness, sadness, sympathy, confusion and the best of all—for him—anger. Her eyes narrowed when his smirked widened. "You can do whatever you want but if you want my help, don't you ever do something like that again."

Sasuke's onyx eyes flashed red and he grinned maliciously. "You cannot undo the past Sakura. I killed that woman long before you were born into the world."

Her green eyes were positively slits now, "Don't joke with me, Sasuke. You just proved to me you can change the past. I won't ask you to change it now but if you want me to stay, _don't do that again." _She hissed the last few words and then proceeded to close her eyes. She was tired and she didn't want to see Sasuke's red eyes staring at her, they scared her. **_So, that is Sasuke's darker side. _**But there was nothing she could do because he was right. He had killed Mary at least one hundred years before she was born.

So she accepted Sasuke's embrace as he climbed into the bed. If she wanted to stay sane, she was going to have to accept these kinds of _events_. And like the days before, she fell asleep more easily that she thought was possible. Even with those red eyes staring at her with a sick kind of interest.

_Stay within the shadows Sakura, only then will you be safe._

* * *

**Oh dear Lord, I finished this in one day. Thank the Lord for this blessing. :D Now my minions, this was a slightly darker chapter than the previous ones. This shows Sasuke's darker side and not even Sakura is spared from his evil intent. **

**If you haven't guessed it yet, Sasuke was both the barman and Jack the Ripper. Scary right? I tried writing the story with the facts in my mind and I think I hit pretty close. **

**Mary Jane Kelly was a real victim of the infamous serial killer; Jack the Ripper. She was the fifth and the final one. I feel so much sorrow for the prostitutes that died by his hand. We should pray for them, each and every one of them. **

**And on a brighter note, summer is nearly here and schools about to end. A whole 2-3 months of holiday! It'll be harder to write next school year since I'll be much busier. **

**But I have to recite this persuasive speech without the script and I'm terrified. I'm memorizing it but I feel like my stomach's rotting away. **

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter and as always; read and review!**

**Ciao!**


	6. The Second Wife

**Hi!**

**Sorry for the long wait, I've been busy at school! We've just started a year long project and I just want to kill myself because we're suppose to work on it over the summer... Why...? Why would my school do this to us? Are they doing this just to torture us? **

**Five more weeks until summer and they want us to start our projects, they consist of a product, progress journal and a report that has to be so many words long. There are some wacky people in Hong Kong. **

**But never mind that, time for the next chapter. Hope you guys enjoy this one. It makes me so happy when people favorite, review or follow my stories! :D**

**I also want to give extra thanks to my beta for being such an awesome proofreader. Nonumaru's grammar is so good! I don't think I've seen better before! :D**

**Nonumaru: Awww thanks :D**

**Credits:  
Nonumaru: For proofreading.**

**Disclaimer:  
I do not own Naruto.**

**Location:  
London, 1536**

**Summary:  
Arriving in London during the reign of the Tudors, Sakura meets one of the many wives of Henry VIII. She befriends her, but in return, she is dragged into a huge mess. She is thrown in jail but manages to escape to see the Queen one last time before she is executed.**

**_Thoughts_**

* * *

Time Is Running Out: Chapter 5: The Second Wife

Sakura giggled as she watched the white soap bubbles drip of Sasuke's raven hair. They ran down his face, onto his body and finally back into the hot water. However, the rosette's glee was not appreciated. Sasuke's eyes were closed as to stop the soap from burning him and Sakura swore she could see him twitching. She gulped when she saw his eyes finally opened only to see they were red with three black commas spinning in his orbs.

Quicker than a lightning strike, Sasuke has shoved a plethora of bubbles into the woman's face without mercy. She spluttered as the liquid burnt her eyes and she quickly ducked into the water to relieve herself on the pain. When she came back up, she cautiously opened her eyes just incase that man had another round of ammunition just for her. But Sasuke was leaning against the walls of the tub, his arms dangling over the side; his face all relaxed with not a care in the world. Well, that's what Sakura saw until her gaze moved onto his face. She froze when she saw his mouth was still molded into his trademark smirk. **_Not good. _**When Sasuke smirked, it either meant he was going to kill someone or he was going to torture _then _kill someone.

Sakura—with self-preservation as her priority—started inching away, ready to leap out of the marble tub and lunge for her blades but since life hated her, her foot slipped on the slick marble. She gasped when she fell, bracing herself for a painful hit against the side of the tub. When she felt nothing and only heard a deep chuckle, she opened her eyes to find his arms wrapped around her, stopping her from an agonizing concussion. **_I didn't even hear or feel him move... _**Only after she had regained her breath—which she had temporarily lost—did she realize the compromising position she was in. The god's arms were wrapped around her body; even her breasts, his legs were touching hers and they were both naked. Sakura flushed a deep shade of red. So much so that her hair would be put to shame because of it. She cleared her throat, trying to pass an unsaid message to the man wrapped around her. He clearly got it since he let out another chuckle but did nothing to ease her. In fact, his arms tightened around her even more and he started nuzzling her hair. "Ummm... You can let go now Sasuke," she pleaded with no avail.

Fireworks exploded in Sakura's mind, she felt her heart racing and was sure Sasuke could here it as well. Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, hands titled her head up to face the handsome man's visage. If her face wasn't on fire before, she was sure it was melting away now. Sasuke's smug smile widened even more, his teeth could be seen but only by a little. Sakura was reminded on the Cheshire cat when she saw that look. She knew what was coming when he leant in, his head titling slightly sideways. Green eyes slowly closed and soon enough, she felt warmth against her lips and she eagerly responded. Her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer until he was completely pressed against her body. Sakura ignored the feeling of him smirking and focused on the sweltering feeling in her naval regions. The rosette smiled when the Uchiha replied with as much if not more passion. He was rough but gentle with her; he was blunt with his actions but never pushed her too far. In fact, Sakura liked it when he pushed her beyond her boundaries. It widened her limits.

Of course she was scared of him, she would be crazy not to be. But it wasn't the nauseating kind of fear that you had when you saw a horror film, it was more like a fear that you were aware of. It was different from the monsters that appeared when your back was turned, she knew what Sasuke was capable of and she wondered if that was even scarier than monsters wielding chainsaws. She had gotten her taste of true fear of him last time in Victorian England. She would never forget those eyes, those cold eyes that stared at her. They were the eyes of a murderer. But Sakura accepted that, she would accept all of him, even his darker traits. Because that's what it means to love someone, you have to love all of that person no matter what they've done. And Sakura understood that to its fullest extent. That's why she was kissing him with genuine passion and love. It was because she acknowledged all of Sasuke.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the time God pulling away from her and staring deep into her eyes. The rosette blinked when the warmth from her face disappeared and found dark onyx eyes scrutinizing her. His gaze was so intense that she fidgeted under presence. But she faced him. She stared into his eyes to show that she trusted him. He seemed mildly surprised by her actions but soon regained his composure. He patted her head—much to her annoyance—and stepped out of the tub. The raven-haired man disappeared around the marble screen and Sakura would have stared after him if something white weren't coming towards her.

The rosette caught the towel easily and stepped out of the water before the cloth soaked up any of the liquid. She was careful not to slip while stepping out of the tub and smirked when she succeeded in her goal. She shivered as she felt cool hair hitting her bare and wet skin; Nihilum was a closed system yet there was never a problem with oxygen. Why? Sakura never chose to ask, deeming it too complicated to care about. Before he had died, Naruto had told her never to question what was there and just use it, because by the time you finished searching for an answer, it would have disappeared.

Sakura's eyes softened at the thought of her blonde friend, it seemed so long ago since they had become allies. What they had, it wasn't an intimate relationship but they were more like siblings. Naruto had cared more for her than anybody else, even more than her parents. So she didn't see the fault in killing his murderers, an eye for an eye right? So why was there a massive manhunt for her when she had rid the world of such scum?

As she wiped the droplets from her body, Sakura smiled sadly. There was something wrong with her and she knew it. Nothing physically—her body was at its prime—but her mind. Was it wrong that she felt no remorse for killing more than one person? No, it wasn't wrong in her mind but in the eyes of another, she was a deranged little girl who needed to be locked up. No one should be able to wield a weapon proficiently as she could. **_Maybe that's why my parents abandoned me, they saw the insanity in me before I knew it myself. _**

She never questioned it though, never wondered about her mental state of mind. Why was there a need to question it? It was there so she would live with it just like Naruto had told her to. Even after she had met Sasuke, she kept her ideology as the one thing untouched even by the God of time.

Sakura—still musing—turned to pass the towel back when suddenly her whole world went black. She panicked; feeling helpless without her weapons; swung a leg around in a roundhouse kick but was stopped before she could even get close to her attacker. And as soon as it had come, the darkness disappeared and she was greeted with the sight of Sasuke's face. She looked around her and her eyes widened when she saw it was a dress he had pulled over her head, which had caused the temporary darkness. Her gaze then moved back to his face and she zeroed in on his smug expression topped of with his trademark smirk.

"That was not funny," she stated flinging the towel towards the male, grumbling when he caught it with ease. She stepped away from him, with much difficulty, to pull the dress down.

"Yes it was," he countered, doing nothing to help her with her predicament. He merely sat on the bed and watched her struggle with the black dress.

A pink brow was raised at the sight of the repetitive color. "Do you have a color fetish with black?" she asked him, laughing at the same time. Like before, he did not appreciate her humor.

"Black does not stand out like the rest of the colors. Any thing bright like your hair would catch the attention of others even if you don't wish to, all the other dark colors don't match you and white..." He stopped there and Sakura was shocked to see him shiver slightly at the light tone called white. But when she blinked, Sasuke was back to his stoic self, not showing any emotions whatsoever. This was proven when he didn't hesitate in passing her blades and their sheaths to her open palm she directed towards him.

"Thanks," she muttered back, concentrating on strapping the bands to her arms before inserting the blades to their respective places. As she had finished tending to her diamond blades, she just managed to catch a small leather pouch thrown at her. It was just like the one from last time, Sakura looked at Sasuke with a small smile. "Money again?" she asked but not really needing or wanting an answer. So the male just nodded and brush a hand over her hair lightly. The rosette thought it was a gesture of affection until she saw her normal pink hair darken until she saw black. "Nooooooooooo," she wailed, jerking out a leg to kick the Uchiha with. He smoothly dodged her onslaught and chuckled at her devastated expression. "You monster!"

"God not demon Sakura, demons cannot execute as much damage as I can," he declared with certain arrogance. Green eyes squinted at him and he could see that she was contemplating whether she should attack him or not. He could tell by her posture, which had changed—she probably hadn't noticed. Also, her fingers were twitching, ready to catch a blade. Ultimately, she decided against it and straightened her back, settling with giving him death glares that would have shook ordinary people. But Sasuke Uchiha was far from ordinary.

Sakura snatched the book of time out of Sasuke's hands with crazy ferociousness. She hastily opened it but immediately stopped when she saw the sketch of Mary's legacy. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, not realizing red eyes were trained in on her. Sakura flipped the page over and opened her eyes again. Her hand was now on the blank page and she could feel what was going to happen and soon enough, black shadows burst out of the book and surrounded her connected hand. The rosette looked back at Sasuke and he couldn't deny that he was shocked when she grinned at him. "I'll be back in record time, you can bet on it."

His now onyx eyes stared at her perplexed and she enjoyed his stunned expression. However, with time comes experience so his recomposed himself fairly quickly. He returned her smirk. "I'll be looking forwards to you fulfilling that wager."

Sakura snorted at him use of big words and laughed, "What ever you say—Sasu-cakes." She was thoroughly satisfied when his bewildered expression returned ten fold. She wanted to see more but the shadows then covered her vision and she could see no more. The rosette closed her eyes and prepared for another anguishing experience. **_After this, just four more to go... _**

Sasuke stared at the place the rosette had disappeared from. He picked up the fallen book and placed in on the marble table. He looked around Nihilum, closed his eyes and smirked when he wondered why it seemed so much bigger when a certain female wasn't around. He looked around the bright cave once before, opened his eyes to reveal crimson and disappeared in a flurry of darkness.

"Not much longer Sakura, then you will be free"

* * *

For once in her life, Sakura didn't need to dodge for her life when she opened her eyes. She appeared to be in a dark ally filled with wooden barrels. She wrinkled her nose when a foul smell met her nose and she cringed. Luckily for her, the barrels were stacked upon each other, which created the perfect hiding place. Ducking behind the barrels, she checked both openings before stepping delicately around the fat wooden containers. **_Oi Sasuke, where to?_**

_Find the center of the town. _Sasuke must have been in a good mood to reply so quickly. Trying to look as casual as possible, Sakura slipped into the street and started walking the way Sasuke had directed her. While walking, Sakura's eyes sharply observed her surroundings. The houses were connected to each other, had tall roofs and were made out of simple materials. All the houses had thin and narrow chimneys attached to the right side of each and every roof.

Again, people used horses as a method of transportation. But the difference was this era looked a lot older than the Victorian times; maybe one hundred years back. The ground she walked on was dusty due to lack of moisture. **_So, not much rain then but that doesn't really help me at all—I still haven't established where I am. I might actually have to engage in conversation. Brilliant._**

But luck must have been on the Sakura's side today because it wasn't long until she saw a familiar building not that far away from her. It was a grand building made out of stone with four large towers at each corner. The stone was gray and looked worn from time. "Now where have I seen this before? In a history book?" Sakura murmured to herself, trying to keep as quiet as possible as to not attract unwanted attention. The tower looked extremely figure but she was sure she hadn't visited it personally. **_So it must be from a book or picture I've seen before... But I doubt my memory is just going to snap like that, I'm going to have to talk to somebody. _**Praying that she wouldn't stir trouble up, she turned to stop the first person she was closest to. However there was no need because at that exact moment, a voice appeared in her head.

_Sakura..._

Time had caused Sakura not to jump like an idiot when she heard that infuriating voice pop up in her head. **_Sasuke... _**

She swore he was looking down on her and laughing at the same time. _Really, you don't have to sound so mean—especially when I was going to tell you what that tower was called. But since you obviously don't want my help, I'll just go—_

**_Don't you dare! _**Even Sakura was shocked with the ferocity in her words. Grumbling at herself, she resisted the temptation of smacking herself since she knew she had just inflated that God's ego even more; and it was already too big than an ego should be.

_Fine, fine. Alright, let's play a game. _

**_Oh my god, you sound like the weird masked man from 'Saw'. _**Sakura shuddered, she had never seen the movie but damn did it sound creepy.

_I'm not like him at all Sakura. Don't be so absurd. _

**_Sasuke, honestly, you may be a god but I doubt that you can surpass my knowledge on horror films... _**Sakura faltered at the end. In fact, it was very likely that Sasuke knew more about horror movies since he head lived a long time, there was no guessing what he knew. **_For all I know, he could be the inspiration for all those movies... After all, he was Jack the Ripper. Hey, how did he get the name 'Jack'?_**

Her thoughts were interrupted by a dark chuckle. _You know, I'm sure you hold the record time for changing subjects. And I don't think it's a good idea to tell you how I got my name unless you want the urge to puke, which would not make you very popular. _

Sakura shuddered at the thought, she never did like the idea of vomiting, and no one really did actually. **_Okay, don't tell me then. But at least help me with my navigations. _**She really hoped Sasuke wouldn't go all cryptic on her but she expected the worst... and the worst did come.

_Don't blow your pretty pink head over; it would ruin my image of you wearing one of those lovely crowns from that infuriating tower. _****

And then the connection broke.

"What the hell...!" hissed Sakura. "What kind of advice was that meant to be? Was it the non-helpful type? Thanks a lot Sasuke, that really helped me." The blade-wielding woman didn't care if people stared; all she wanted to do was wring that God's pretty little neck.

Finally deciding to stop moping and actually think about what that obnoxious deity had said, the cogs in her brain started whirling. Sakura was not stupid. If anything her IQ was way above average. How could an ordinary person calculate the distance to throw a knife to hit exactly where she wanted, or jump from one building to another without the fear of falling due to perfect calculations? So it wasn't a surprise for her when she found the answer only mere moments later. **_Crowns... tower... What else can it be? Can't believe that thing's the Tower of London. _**

Sakura smiled in satisfaction and was content with strutting towards the tower but she stopped when she realized something bad. She was really tempted to smack herself for this one. **_Um... So what am I suppose to do when I get there? I have no idea what time frame I'm in, nor who I need to look for... Sasuke, you are a dick. _**

_Hn. _

Sakura wondered whether she should try and contact Sasuke again but ultimately decided not to. **_Not that he would be any help anymore. _**And that was proven when there was no reply.

The woman was now in front of the tower but she knew better to go in. When she saw the intimidating guards stand outside, she definitely backtracked. She looked behind her to find an escape and almost laughed in relief when she found her getaway ticket. An inn stood right opposite the tower no matter how far it was away. It was no surprise that there was a limit on how close buildings were allowed to the tower.

**_Better rent a room, who knows how long I'll be here for. _**Turning around to enter the inn, she almost fell over when a cloaked figure pushed past her. Catching herself, she looked around to see who had so rudely bumped into her without apologizing. But the figure was moving; green eyes watched the figure disappear into the inn. Smirking, Sakura followed after the cloak ready to teach that person a lesson.

When she entered the inn, she was not greeted with a roaring fire like the on in the Black Virtue. Nostalgia hit her when reminisced about her previous trip to the past. She shook it off, returning to her duty of avenging her poor foot that had been stepped on. Luckily her thick high-heeled boots protected her from permanent damage.

Sakura growled when there was no sign of the mysterious figure. Deciding not to waste time, she leaned over the counter to ask the barman for a room. "How much?" she asked, being much more composed than last time.

The middle-aged looked surprised at her bluntness; his mouth gaped open. Sakura felt sweat run down her neck. **_Oh crap, this better not be a time where people still believed in witches. _**Her suspicions were confirmed when the man's eyes narrowed at her dubiously. Following her instincts, she pulled out her moneybag and dumped a sufficient amount of coins into the man's grubby hand. He stared at it startled but that quickly turned to craving.

"My lips are sealed," he said, staring at the pouch greedily. Sakura smiled with thin lips and grabbed the key the barman offered her. Moving quickly, she walked up the wooden stairs wanting to find her room. She quickly caught sight of her presented room. She shoved the key in and pushed the stiff door open.

**_This is the best hiding place ever. _**Knowing she had no time to waste—even though she wanted no more than to fall on the bed—Sakura exited the room. Hiding the money pouch and key in her bra, she was about to go downstairs to start searching for a potential victim. But more the second time, the door closest to the stairs almost smashed into her face. Sakura skidded to a halt, stared and the door and blew out of her nose due to her mouth plastered in a tight line. **_If this is the same person, I will kill it... _**

When she saw a familiar cloak, a fist raised to hit that unseen face. But when dark eyes stared at her under the hood she slowly lowered her fist. It was silent and the tension so thick it could be cut with Sakura's diamond blades. No one broke the silence until a sweet melodic voice came from the heavy disguise. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hit you."

Sakura backpedalled immediately. "N-n-n problem," she stuttered. Sakura couldn't help but return the smile the woman gave her. "No harm no foul right?" The woman seemed to be surprised by Sakura's answers. Perhaps she was important, perhaps she was used to being treated like royalty. But why would royalty be in an inn like this?

"You're not from here are you?" asked the woman with an odd look in her beautiful onyx eyes. They were just like Sasuke's. It was no doubt that they were stunning.

Sakura smiled awkwardly, "No, I come from very far away." She didn't miss the return of trust in the woman's eyes. "Are you in some sort of trouble?" That question seemed to hit home as the woman flinched at the inquisition.

"It's not some sort, it's much bigger than I would like it to be." Sakura's ears perked up, this was getting interesting. Taking a deep breath, the woman said, "I'm having problems with my husband."

Sakura suppressed the urge to laugh, "Doesn't everybody have marriage problems?"

All humor disappeared from the Sakura's face when she saw the woman's expression. She knew something bad was going to happen, she felt it in her gut. Her breath stuck in her throat when she heard the words coming out of the woman's mouth.

"My husband is King Henry the eighth, my name is Anne Boleyn."

Sakura stared.

Her mind was whirling. **_A-A-Anne Boleyn? The Anne Boleyn? You have got to be kidding me..._**

The proclaimed second wife of the current king glanced nervously at the black-haired woman before her. None of them could deny the sound of footsteps approaching from the stairwell. Sakura held her gasp when Anne grabbed Sakura's hand and pulled her into the room. The door slammed behind them and both women held their breaths. When the sounds disappeared they simultaneously let out of a sigh of relief.

"I think I'm going to die soon."

Both women were sat on the bed, Sakura listening intently to Anne's tale fiddling with her altered black hair at the same time. "Why? Have you done something wrong?"

Anne nodded, "I haven't produced a son yet, my higher-ups are becoming restless. And my sister..." Sakura didn't press on, the other Boleyn girl was no unknown tale. So she did her best to change the subject.

"Why are you so close? Why not leave the country?"

The queen smiled wryly, "It's rather difficult to escape when everybody searching for you. Furthermore, I doubt many will realize I would stay so close to home." Sakura smirked. This queen was obviously a lot smarter than she was credited.

"Can I ask for a favor, Cherrie?"

Sakura reacted to her fake name, "Of course."

Anne took a deep breath, "If I am arrested, I want you to leave immediately." Sakura blinked, she expected to be asked to protect some object that would lead her back to Nihilum not asked to save her own life. This queen was truly selfless.

* * *

A week or so had passed and no one had discovered the queen in hiding. Sakura had taken it upon herself to bring food up to the room three times a day without delay. Things were looking up and Sakura was certain she could sneak the queen out of the country without a hassle. Unfortunately, life did not work that way.

So Sakura shouldn't have been surprised when on the second of May, armored guards burst into Anne's room saying she was under arrest. Sakura had been in the room at the same time, both about to tuck into a nice meal. They were both handcuffed and marched downstairs. People stared at the two women being led out of the inn.

"Please let her go, she hasn't done anything wrong," pleaded Anne to one of the guards. He merely grunted and pushed her forwards. Sakura on the other hand was wilding searching for the cause. Her eyes stopped at the sight of the smug looking barman with a fat pouch of money in his grubby palms. Sakura let out a growl and lunged towards the man, raising a fist to knock his teeth down his throat. She screamed when two guards attempted to restrain , they were having a hard time controlling the green-eyed woman.

"Take her away! She's insane," yelled the barman, cowering way from the furious time-traveler.

"Insane! You'll be bloody insane by the time I'm finished with you, you scumbag!"

All eyes were on the raging woman who was baring her hackles at the traitorous barman. Once outside, the queen and Sakura were begrudgingly moved onto their knees, forced to kneel in front of this pompous looking man. He was holding a spread out scroll and gave the two women a quick look before seemingly ignoring them.

"Queen Anne Boleyn, you are under arrest with the charges of adultery, incest, and plans to murder our King."

Anne's eyes were huge, but she did not protest. How could she? They would never believe her. She lowered her eyes, trying her best to hold in her tears. However, Sakura was heaving heavily, trying to regain her breath. The man looked at her with slight interest before addressing her punishment. "And you, you are under arrest for conspiring with the queen and being in pact with the devil and therefore a witch."

Sakura gaped, "Witch?" No sounds came from the accused then but that did not ease the atmosphere; then Hell broke loose.

"WITCH?! WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BLOODY WITCH?!"

Again, she lunged trying to gouge the man's eyes out. But like before, she was restrained and forced into the ground once again. But that didn't stop her from spewing insults, which had the audience gasping at her crude vocabulary.

The snobby man looked at her one more time before saying, "Take them away." He then returned to his carriage; the door held open by the footman. No one looked at the horses trotting away for all eyes were focused on the two women being dragged away. Sakura started to panic when she realized she wasn't going in the same direction Anne was being dragged off to. The queen seemed to be thinking the same thing for she kept pleading with the guards to leave the other women alone. They paid for no heed and continued to pull them away from each other.

Sakura didn't try to run but that didn't mean she made it easy for her guards. She kicked, struggled, cried, fought and bit every second she had before she was thrown into a nasty looking cell. She growled when she heard the key turn signaling her capture. The guards hung the key upon a hook far away from her reach before disappearing around the corner saying something like, "Time for lunch then."

The convicts from the surrounding cells looked at the small women in astonishment. Sakura looked around her to see that she was the only one in her cell; she instantly began thanking the gods—minus Sasuke.

**_I don't have time for this. I have to save Anne. If I don't, we all know how this is going to end... with her death. _**Not even bothering to look at the ring of keys, she started looking in sign for the guards. **_Hopefully they have long lunch breaks, I should have enough time. _**Just as she was about to release one of her diamond blades, a voice stopped her.

_Sakura._

Her eyes grew wide with recognition. **_Sasuke... What do I do? It's Anne Boleyn! _**She was sure she was hyperventilating right now. For all the intelligence she had, it was no use if she couldn't think properly.

_Sakura, before you do anything clear your mind. You cannot do this while distracted; you will get caught if so. _

Oh how she wanted to ignore Sasuke's orders but he was right, she would be caught if she escaped in her state of mind. She knew exactly what would happen; she would go after that barman and then it would be too late. Anne would be dead. She would have failed. **_I don't even know if she holds the object I'm looking for, it could be one of the crown jewels for all I know. Anne could just be another factor. _**But her intuition told her differently, her gut told her Anne _was _the person she was looking for. Nevertheless, it wasn't at all useful if she couldn't find the object.

Therefore Sakura forced himself to calm down, to take deep breaths and close her eyes. It took her a good few minutes to do so but it worked. She was now calmer than ever, there was no more frantic in her expression.

_Cooled your head off now?_

She said nothing and nodded, prepared to follow his instructions because she remembered. She remembered that Sasuke's goal was to complete the book, not hinder her. He wasn't a mindless psycho who enjoyed seeing her run around like a headless chicken, Sasuke had a goal that she shared. Hence, she listened to him because whatever he had in mind—no matter had screwed up it was—it would work.

_Then don't escape._

**_What?! What do you mean don't escape? I have to or Anne will—_**

_Tut tut, you didn't let me finish Sakura._

Said woman furrowed her brows with confusion and anger. **_Okay, I take it all back. You are just some psycho who gets off watching people suffer..._**

_Are you going to continue interrupting me or may I speak now?_

With a reluctant sigh, Sakura nodded her head. **_Fine. But it better be good._**

Had Sasuke been here, she was sure he would have rolled his eyes at her attitude. _If you escape now, people will suspect you'll try to get to Anne and enforce the security around her—_

**_I can handle them._**

_—but, if you go when they are distracted, no one will notice you disappear. _

Sakura didn't want to believe the deity but he was right. If she did try to escape now, it would all be for nothing. They would probably move Anne to a more secure prison—maybe even out of the country.

_Wait until the queen's trials. _

Sakura bit her lower lip in frustration. **_It'll be too late then, if she is proven guilty; she'll die. _**

_Sakura... I asked you to find something not to save someone. If you start saving those who have died, history will change drastically and who knows what will happen to the future. If worst comes to worst, you could disappear. _

Sakura gasped, "What?" Luckily she wasn't too loud or she would definitely be hanged for being witch, talking to invisible beings was not good.

_Just hang in there until you hear the signal. It should be in around five to six days. _

The woman fumed. **_You..._**

_Hn? _He was smirking; she just knew it. Her Sasuke senses were tingling.

**_You want me to stay in here for more than one hour? Yep, you are just a psychopath who likes to watch people suffer. I knew it! Just like the wacko is 'Saw'. _**

_For the last time Sakura, I am nothing like that cretin. If you think he was bad, you obviously haven't been paying attention very well. Perhaps a lesson is in order?_

Sakura sweated and fanned herself lightly with her hand. **_No thanks. I'd rather not. _**

_Good, see you in eleven days Sakura. _

Then he was gone.

"Useful as always," muttered Sakura, making herself comfortable. **_Might as well get comfortable now. _**She groaned when she heard the voices of the guards approach. **_This is going to painful... _**

* * *

A sigh left her lips for the nth time.

Eleven days had passed and Sakura was getting annoyed. The smell of the prison, the way the guards treated their prisoners; absolutely not civilization at all. They weren't fed well at all, small quantities of water and scraps if they were lucky. The other prisoners gobbled up the food like ravenous dogs but Sakura remained firm. She had once gone at least a month without the proper food without becoming too weak. She had lost a sufficient amount of energy but just because she got weaker did _not _make those guards any stronger.

Choosing to meditate throughout the days she was there, she was thankful she heard what she did on the eleventh day since she was incarcerated. Strangely, they didn't try to hang her but Sakura deduced they were too busy with the queen to spare any time for a strange girl who swore like it was her job.

Sakura was leaned against the wall sitting with her legs crossed when she heard the news. Those guards weren't very smart, all brawn and no brains. **_Wait, I take that way back. No brawn and definitely no brains. _**Her eyes were closed so she had no idea if looked like a maniac smiling at nothing whatsoever. But right now, she was focused on eavesdropping.

"I heard that the queen has been proven guilty."

"Really? When's her execution?"

"At sunset in four days."

There was more but that was nothing but deadweight to Sakura. **_It's time. _**So this was the signal Sasuke had been talking about. For once, he had make things simple but there was always a backfire. **_Something's bound to go wrong so I have to extra careful, yay... _**

Knowing lunch break was approaching for the guards, Sakura stood. With her eyes still closed, you heard the clanking of foots against the ground as the men bustled down to the lunchroom. Smiling at the silence, Sakura swiftly caught a knife in her right hand, opened her eyes and smirked. "Ready or not, here I come."

_Hn, and here I thought you hated games._

**_Heh._**

Seemingly without hesitation, Sakura threw one blade between the bars. It was done in such a way it knocked the keys of the hook. But she wasn't done yet, using her other blade, Sakura hit her previous weapon, which caused it to change directions and sail back towards its owner. The weapon mistress smoothly caught it and daintily picked up the keys and smiled as she found the correct one. It took a big more effort to turn the key but it budged with a bit of persuasion.

The metal frame creaked as she pushed it open but that didn't stop Sakura at all. She quickly retrieved her other knife, which had embedded itself into the wall. Checking both ends of the hall before deciding to go the opposite way the guards went, she tried to ignore all the whispers around her.

"Hey! Aren't ya gonna help us at all?"

Sakura looked to her right were a middle-aged man looked at her pleadingly. Sakura gritted her teeth, "Sorry, I can't."

The man howled in rage, "YOU WENCH—!" He would have continued screaming had Sakura not stabbed him through the neck. The others in the same cell scrambled away but didn't make a sound, afraid that they would find themselves with a blade protruding from their throat. They stared to look at the woman's face and were even more frightened to see no remorse in her expression at all. Sakura's face was blank, her eyes betrayed to emotion, she wasn't a kind person; she was a killer.

"I have one and only job to accomplish and that does not include saving the likes of you." Trying not to look at the women and young children in the cells, she pressed on with tight lips and a blank face.

Grabbing a random cloak hanging on a hook, she threw it on as to disguise herself. It wasn't long until she saw light that promised escape from the terrible prison she had just lived in for the past eleven days. Knowing there would be security that would find it odd to see a cloaked figure aelf through it—blades in hands—and stabbed one of her weapons through the stone wall. She knew it hadn't penetrated through the rock so she was safe from stabbing someone unintentionally. Using her arms, she pulled herself up and started to scale the prison.

Luckily for her, the building opposite her had no windows and there was no one in the ally below. It was a deserted part of London so not many people walked in the streets. She grunted as she heaved herself onto the roof. Ducking behind the chimney, she planned where to go next. **_Where would they keep Anne? Not in the main palace, not in this prison that I know so where? _**Sakura was becoming frustrated, being forced to stay in a prison for eleven days without changing clothes did not impress her. First priority, save Anne; second was to take a bath although there wasn't that big of a gap between them.

_Don't blow your pretty pink head over this. It would ruin my image of you wearing one of those lovely crowns from that infuriating tower. _****

She whirled around, but there was nothing. **_Of course there would be nothing. You really are not helping Sasuke. _**As expected, no answer came from the man. Sasuke didn't speak unless he had a reason to. Then it clicked just like last time. She looked at the scenery for her target, the Tower of London.

It wasn't difficult to spot. It would be crazy for a blind person not to see the giant building that stood in the center of London. Looking for the quickest route, she moaned when she found it. She couldn't go onto the main street. The chances of being caught were too high. Using the alleys would get her lost since she wouldn't be able to see the Tower. So, the only alternative was to use the roots. **_I haven't done this in a long time. _**

Jumping on the spot, she warmed up the muscles in her legs. Taking a few steps back she discarded the cloak and cut her dress with her blades. The only thing that was left was her corset and the pair of shorts she wore underneath. Then she realized something. She still had the room key with her. Plucking it out she glared at it before clenching her fist until the metal became something unrecognizable. She threw the lump away from her and it rolled down the slanted tiles before stopping in the gutter.

Looking at her destination, she ran. Pacing her steps precisely, she smirked when things went her way and she jumped off her dominant leg. It was a good two meters gap from one building to another but she made it. Sakura quickly ducked into a shoulder roll as she landed as to take in the impact and not break her legs. Stopping in a crouched position, she laughed in satisfaction. If anything, her youth was coming back. **_I'm not that old... _**She looked up and saw the tower not that far away. With a determined look, she started running again, jumping from one building to another; making sure to run on the side furthest away from the main street.

Once she was a couple of buildings away, she decided to use the ground. There were too many guards around the tower and they would surely notice her if she tried to jump from a building. So finding an alley that was deserted, she jumped down. Using her thick heels on either side of the building to resist a sudden drop, she saw rock flying off the wall due to the pressure. When she was close enough, she snapped her legs together and landed safely on the ground.

Running away from the main street, she peered around the corner. No one. So she ran, she didn't look behind; she just ran. The tower came into her sight and she skidded behind a building. **_How to get in... _**She observed the building and spotted a small horse-driven carriage approaching. Doing to small victory dance in her head, she stealthily rolled behind it and clutched onto the end. Thanking the gods that no one was on the back, she crawled underneath the wooden cart. Praying that the soldiers wouldn't check, she resisted the temptation to pump her fist when she saw the gates pass her vision.

They seemed to enter a dark storage place. So, Sakura took the chance to let go and laid down as the rest of the cart rolled over her. Standing up, she swiftly made her way to the exit. Again, she spotted a cloak hanging on one of the stored sacks and wrapped it around herself. Pushing the door open, she breathed a sigh of relief when no one stopped to question her. As she was about to start searching, the best thing happened.

A women tapped her on the shoulder with a tray in her other hand. "Take this to the queen," ordered the women who must be the head maid. Sakura looked around her to see herself in the biggest kitchen she had ever seen. When Sakura didn't move, the woman frowned. "Hurry up girl! Take this to the queen!" She then pushed Sakura in a direction, which she guessed the queen lived. She started walking in that direction when, "And take that cloak off, there is no need for it in here."

Sakura nodded and continued walking. She heard the women huff but didn't say anything more. She must have noticed if she wanted the meal delivered as quickly as possible, the cloak would have to wait. Fortunately, there was only one path, which made things so much easier for Sakura. She climbed up the uneven steps with minimal struggle and was met with a door. She frowned when she saw a guard sitting on a chair outside it. Making sure her voice was steady, "I have food for the queen." The man said nothing but took a key from his belt and shoved it in the lock. He twisted it with a grunt and pushed the door open. Sakura suppressed the urge to kick him as she entered the room. She also had to wait until the door was closed and locked again before revealing herself.

"Anne!" The woman sitting at the window gasped and whirled around. She stood up, a hand to her heart and smiled a breathtaking smile.

"Cherrie! You escaped!"

She covered her mouth when Sakura brought her finger to her lips and motioned to the door after putting down the tray of food. The women embraced each other in a hug. As soon as they parted Sakura said, "Quickly, we have to escape now." She took the queen's hand and was bewildered when she didn't budge. She turned back to look at the woman with a confused expression. Anne was smiling but shook her head.

"I cannot."

"What do you mean?" demanded Sakura, her frustration building up again.

The queen had a serene look in her eyes, something she had never seen in Sasuke's. "I don't want to live a life where I have to check my back every second. I don't want to become a criminal in hiding. Only this way can I become free, I choose to die at sunset."

Sakura was lost for words; she could only sit down on a chair, her breathing short. "I understand," she said after a while. After all, Sasuke had said she couldn't be saved.

The queen smiled sympathetically, "I'm sorry you had to come all the way here. They shouldn't have put you in jail."

Sakura shook her head, "No, it was fine. I wanted to see you anyway." It was silent between the two women and they both watched the red sun go down. It was so beautiful. None of them felt the terror that had yet to come. Sakura was so entranced she almost didn't hear the footsteps approaching. Fearing it was the guard wondering why it took so long to deliver food, she was shocked when Anne shoved her behind the curtains.

She caught a glimpse of two different guards enter the room. The old guard was nowhere in sight. **_Did he forget about me? I can't believe him, definitely no brawn and no brains. _**When the two men took Anne by the arms, she started to panic. **_Wait! I didn't have time to ask her about the object! You have got to be kidding me! This cannot be happening. _**But it was happening and Sakura could do nothing as she watched Anne disappear from the room. As beautiful as the sunset was, it marked the time for the queen's execution.

She was going to follow after them but she halted when she saw the shake of Anne's head. It meant nothing to the guards but Sakura knew what she meant. She was not to follow, and not even Sakura could deny her. Just because she was about to be executed, she was still the queen until the second she died.

Consequently, Sakura was forced to watch from the tower. She watched the crowd form. She watched the queen walk onto the platform, make her speech and kneel. She watched as the queen's headdress was removed and a blindfold being placed over eyes. But she could not and would not watch as the executioner raised the sword because she could see the second sword hiding. She knew the story; she knew how the queen had asked for that special executioner from France. He was renowned for his quick and painless executions.

So Sakura closed her eyes and felt tears run down her face as she heard the commotion from the crowd. She sobbed and dropped her head into her arms. It was always like this, she would meet someone special, they would die and she would cry. But she had to live with that. Just like killing, no matter how many times you did it, there was no one in the world who could kill without feeling even a bit of guilt despite his or her composed visage.

It was dark when the last of the crowd disappeared. All the equipment had been taken away and there was no one in the yard now. Sakura glanced at the door before shaking her head. Slipping her legs over the edge of the window, she caught both of her blades before dropping. She turned halfway during the wall and stabbed her knives into the wall. She heard the sound of the rock being cut. **_That's going to leave a mark. _**She had slowed down considerably by the time she reached the bottom. There were no guards. She had planned it so she dropped while the guards were changing their shifts.

Pulling out her weapons, she walked over towards the execution site. There was nothing left and Sakura felt her slight blur to the tears building up on her eyes. She jumped and when she heard a sound and searched for the culprit. It was an owl. Sakura stared at it, its feathers were pitch black and so were its eyes. **_Without a doubt, that's— _**The feathered creature gave her no time to think and flew down from it's branch onto something white and red. It was the blindfold but down it was stained with blood. **_So this is it... _**Slowly walking over to it, she was hesitant and almost afraid to pick it up. But she mustered all her courage and felt the smooth material in her hands.

Sakura gasped as she felt the familiar feeling and darkness slither up her arm. She gave the owl one last look and let out a genuine laugh. "Really? You turned into an owl this time? You sure have some weird forms."

And when the new set of guards came, all they saw was an owl on the ground that looked oddly smug. Before they could inquire further—or burn it for being a witch—it flew into the night and was never to be seen again.

* * *

"OH MY GOD! JUST MOVE!"

Sasuke smirked at the fuming female, enjoying her frustration. He showed no compliancy to her orders, the stomped her feet. "Sasuke Uchiha, I have gone eleven days without a shower. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS LIKE?!"

He merely raised an eyebrow and titled his head. "DON'T ACT ALL INNOCENT WITH ME!" The deity shook his head and threw her the book of time. She continued to glare at him even as she flipped the pages over. She stopped at the nearest blank age and tightened her grip of the blindfold in her hand. Sighing, she placed in on the page and closed her eyes as the white light shined from the page. When she could see again, the strip of fabric was gone and there laid a sketch on the bloodstained cloth. Sakura looked at it one more time before closing it and tossing it on the table. She looked back over at Sasuke, "Bath. Now."

"Fine," he relented and moved away from the opening to the tub. She dashed past him and almost squealed in joy when it was already filled with steaming water. Sasuke who leaned on the screening seemed to notice that she was missing half of her dress and raised an elegant brow.

"Don't ask," she muttered and she threw the money bag back at him. It disappeared as soon as he touched it. She cut through the corset strings with her blades as Sasuke shook his head. The rosette—her hair had changed back as soon as she arrived back in Nihilum—ignored him and flung her shoes off. She jumped into the tub with the intention of splashing her companion. When she looked to see the results, she narrowed her eyes. The water had reached far enough to wet the Uchiha but before the liquid could even touch him, they were stopped in mid-air. They gathered into bubbles and evaporated into the air. "So not fair," grumbled Sakura, ducking herself under the water. She sighed in content as the hot water relaxed her joints.

She purred when hands enveloped her head and started massaging it. She leaned in towards the hands and she could hear him chuckle. "Good work," he whispered into her ears and she flushed red.

"Shut up."

He said nothing but continued by running his hands through her hair. She was just about to fall asleep when—

"SASUKE UCHIHA, YOU'RE DEAD! OH GOD, THE SOAP BURNS!"

_The good are always unfairly accused. Do what you must, Sakura._

* * *

**I finished! In less than a week, yay!**

**No school today because of a black warning signal. Summer is arriving in Hong Kong, brilliant. **

**Hope you enjoy this chapter and don't forget to read and review**

**Ciao!**


	7. The Antepenultimate

**Hi!**

**There are five more weeks until the summer holidays. :D I'm so excited! Re-watching all my childhood shows such as Teen Titans, Totally Spies and Martin Mystery. :D I don't know what happened to good cartoons these days, nowadays all the cartoons are stupid and have no character development.**

**Credits:  
Nonumaru: For proofreading.**

**Disclaimer:  
I do not own Naruto.**

**Location:  
Iceni, 61 AD**

**Summary:  
When Sakura leaves again, she will fill the third to last page. But this time, something is different. It doesn't feel right. Something bad is going to happen. **

**_Thoughts_**

* * *

Time Is Running Out: Chapter 6: The Antepenultimate

"This will be the last time."

Sakura looked up from attaching her blades, her sleeves from her new dress rolled up. She also had a cloak covering her petite body; the rosette was careful to ask the Uchiha for one this time. Her pink hair had already turned black by the time she had slid the last knife into place.

Sasuke looked strangely out of character, his arrogant aura was not present. His onyx orbs almost seemed sad. In fact, this behavior had been going on for a couple of days now, not just that long after the rosette came back from the Tudor time. She ignored it it was pure denial or something else she had no idea.

Sakura looked at him and was surprised to see him avoiding her eyes. She was about to ask why when she felt something underneath her fingers. She looked down to see her hand in contact with the next blank page from the book of time. **_When did he...? _**She was spared no time before the darkness wrapped around her; the last thing she saw was Sasuke turning his back on her, refusing to look at her.

Nihilum was truly more spacious when he was alone. Sasuke looked at the book laying on the floor and moved to pick it up. He placed in on the table, turned around and disappeared from the cave without looking back.

Even in the darkness, she knew something was wrong.

Sasuke never acted this way. It was strange. Dread rushed through her when she thought of one of the possible reasons; she had almost completed the book and he no longer needed her. But didn't he proclaim his love for her? Said she was something he thought as an equal? Sasuke was many things but he was not a liar, he had no need to deceive anybody. He was powerful enough to say whatever he wanted and walk away unscathed.

Sakura could feel the tendrils of shadows running off her like water, she had arrived. She had just regained her vision when she had to drop to avoid her head being cut off. She saw debris made out of sticks and grass when she hit the ground and tried to avoid being cut. **_So I'm in a forest?_**

She could see all the greenery around her and started planning the best route to escape. **_What happens if the person I'm looking for is when these crazies? _**Sakura looked back to see men wearing fur charging at her with their swords high. **_Maybe not... _**She avoided another blow from one of them and executed a roundhouse kick to somebody's chest. He stumbled back but quickly regained him composure and glared at her furiously.

She slinked to the right to avoid another blow and was just about to bring down her weapons when she felt cool metal at her neck. She growled when she saw one of the men had sneaked up behind her. He had his sword by her neck, resting gently on the skin but Sakura knew better than to think he wouldn't draw blood. She relaxed her arms, waiting for what would happen next. Either they would kill her now or they would take her back to their camp and try God knows what to her.

She didn't know what to feel when the men chose the latter and started pushing her in a direction that she presumed that their camp was in. It wasn't a long walk but long enough to cause anxiousness within her. She was fairly certain she was capable of demobilizing the men and running but she didn't know the woods. These men probably knew the layout of the forest like the back of their hands. All the shortcuts and dangers would be in their knowledge and she would be quickly recaptured.

The sun was still started to set and Sakura knew she couldn't afford running, which would lead to getting lost. Who knew what kind of creatures lurked in the forests? Furthermore, she was sure the men surrounding her weren't the only tribe here. Not to mention, what if she met the enemies of the men right here? She would be captured and probably tortured.

A foreign smell alerted Sakura that they were close to camp. **_Fish? _**When the group stepped into the clearing, all eyes focused on them. Sakura too looked at the various people working; either helping with the cooking or doing some kind of work that modern day citizens would not dream of doing. They were all wearing clothes made out of simple materials but wore fur to keep them warm.

There was a roaring fire in the center that the fish was cooking on. Sakura was led around it to the largest makeshift tent made out of pelt of many animals. She was pushed inside and led into darkness once more. She fumbled around, trying to find her footing.

"Who are you?"

Sakura squinted into the darkness and waited for her eyes to adjust. When they did, she did not expect to see a beautiful woman with long red hair to stand before her. The locks of flames went past her waist and almost touched the fur on the ground. She was a tall, muscular woman with harsh, critical eyes.

The women looked at Sakura with suspicion and her eyes narrowed, leaving no room for questions. Her rough fingers went to clutch the golden brooch keeping her pelt cape together. Sakura's eyes zeroed in on it. **_Can that be—? _**

Before she could even complete her thought, the redhead had grabbed the sword by her waist and brandished it at Sakura. "You're a Roman spy aren't you? How dare you!" Once again, Sakura had to duck to avoid her limbs being cut off. She gasped when the large woman moved faster than possible and following her instincts; twin blades were blocking the sword. Sakura gritted her teeth, she was struggling with the sheer strength of the woman. Sakura was fast and agile, but this woman was strong.

The strange woman seemed to be perplexed by the sudden appearance of the weapons in Sakura's hands. She faltered and Sakura took this chance to smack the sword out of the woman's with a roundhouse kick. "I'm not a spy," swore Sakura, quite breathless. She hadn't expected such an attack. She didn't expect the woman to believe her straight away so she put her knives back up in bands and raised her hands up. "I swear I'm not a spy," repeated Sakura, saying it with deliberate slowness. She was going to say it again, but the woman nodded stiffly and relaxed her stance. **_So much for third time's a charm... _**

"If you are not a spy, then what are you?"

Sakura struggled with her answer. "I'm... from... far away," she finally said after minutes of contemplating. The women did not any more comfortable so Sakura tried again, "My name is Cherrie, how about you?"

The woman smirked with pride, "My name is Boudica, and I'm the iron queen."

**_I hate my life..._**

Sakura sipped on her mug of hot water while she sat on skin of some poor animal. That aside, she snuggled into the warmth and sighed in content at how home like the tent was. The woman called Boudica sat opposite her, drinking something that was definitely not water.

"You were publicly whipped?!"

Sakura stared in horror, her mouth agape. She had just heard the story the Celtic warrior battling against the Romans. "How could they?" Aghast spread across Sakura's face, "That's terrible!"

Boudica sat undisturbed, "They also raped my daughters in front of me."

"WHAT?!" screamed Sakura, fur falling off her as she stood up with horror. "Why?" The time-traveler could not think of any reasons for such an atrocious act against anybody. She knew the Roman's were cruel but she never knew they were not above raping _children. _

"Why? Because I protested when these scumbags said that all the land should be given to their emperor."

"Emperor?"

"He's called Nero and he has no idea how to rule a kingdom. My father left me half of his land, while the other half went to the Romans yet they dare try and take all of it. Those cretins should be destroyed!"

Sakura knew she shouldn't judge until she saw both sides of the story but she couldn't help but be biased for the iron queen. If she stayed with this tribe, it was likely she would jump right out of the frying pan and into the fire but she couldn't back out. If she went with them, there would be a chance that she would meet the current Roman emperor who could be the person she was looking for if it wasn't Boudica. **_But if it were the Romans, I would have to change sides. Why should I care? I am loyal to no one. _**

"Will you come with us?"

Sakura's eyes bulged, "What?"

The queen stared straight into Sakura's eyes. "We are going to attack the Roman's tomorrow."

Sakura gaped, "Um..."

"Other tribes will be joining us but I've seen your skills, we could really use your help."

"I'm not sure." **_The last thing I need is to join a famous battle. If I disturb the timeline, things can go terribly wrong. _**

"For my daughters."

That made Sakura stop and think. **_Her daughters? If the Roman's get their hands on them, there's no doubt... _**Sakura frowned at the dilemma. If she took part, there was a fifty-fifty chance that things would go her way, but there was also as big of a chance that it would go terribly wrong. **_What to do... what to do... Sasuke would know but he won't respond to any of my attempts to contact him. _**

Green orbs looked at the Celtic queen and she knew what her answer was. Those eyes, those cold harsh eyes that held hope in them. Those eyes that have seen more than she had birthdays. Those eyes resembled _his _so much. With a fixed decision, Sakura nodded and said, "I will go with you."

Boudica smiled in gratitude, "Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me." Sakura smiled and continued to drink her now lukewarm water.

"No, it should be me thanking you."

* * *

"Do you all understand the plan?"

The sun had just risen as different tribes gathered in Boudica's large tent. From her spot next to the queen, she could see the difference in tribes. There was a subtle difference in clothes and the way they posed themselves. Some of them glanced curiously at the Sakura who they could see was definitely not Celtic.

On the other side of Boudica were her two daughters. Sakura could not determine their ages but knew that they could not be much older than her. She did not ask for their ages, knowing if she knew how old they were when they were raped, she would not be capable of fighting. She needed to be stable if she wanted to fight without going completely berserk. Only once in her life did she lose control of herself and she had executed absolute destruction. The police had almost caught her but she had managed to clean the scene and bury Naruto's body so there was nothing to record.

"Us leaders will stay incase we need to create an alternative plan. The front lines must try to drive them back. Do you understand?" Murmurs echoed around the tent and there was a series of nodding. Boudica sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Sakura almost laughed when she saw men who looked like bodybuilders jump from their places at her redhead's sudden outburst.

The answers were much more sharper this time as the other tribes did not want to anger the iron queen again. Satisfied, the queen stood from her seat. "Head out!" Sakura watched as the warriors left the tent only leaving the chiefs, the queen and her daughters and Sakura. The woman looked at Boudica for instructions but before she could ask, "Incase things go wrong, look after my daughters."

Sakura just nodded and looked at the two young girls. The various leaders watched with fascination as Sakura's face composed itself into a calm facade.

In reality, Sakura's head was in turmoil. **_This is bad. I've got a feeling that things will not go my way. Shit! What to I do? Should I leave? But I can't leave these children by themselves, if the Roman's reach this camp; they're dead for sure. Why does it involve me? It's not my problem but I made a promise to her. I don't break my promises. Naruto told me that. _**When an image of her deceased blonde friend crossed her mind, her courage returned but not without a price. Sadness ran through Sakura as she remembered how brutally her brother figure was murdered. She never did forgive those men. **_No, I cannot and will not leave. _**

So Sakura stayed, stayed even as a warrior from the front lines ran in hours later to say that the Romans had gained the advantage. She watched as Boudica's face scrunched up into frustration. Sakura without hesitation stood up and said, "I will go to the front lines."

Everybody looked at her with astonishment, out of the corner of her eye she saw one of the leaders about to protest when, "No, I will go." Now it was Sakura's turn to stare as the queen stood up to collect her sword and strap it to her waist. Sakura moved forward to argue, but she was stopped. "You promised to protect my daughters didn't you?"

Sakura stayed silent, having lost her own fight. She angrily sat back down as she watched the queen leave the tent after acquiring all her armor. It stayed silent from then even as the leaders glanced nervously at each other, not knowing what to do as their leader left them. Sakura narrowed her eyes, if one of them dared try to back out at the last minute, she would slaughter them. She couldn't stand cowards who would probably conjure a heroic story afterwards saying how they tried their best.

The blade wielder fidgeted in her place for unknown hours. When the queen still didn't come back as the sun started setting, she nauseating feeling in her navel was restored. She jumped when the flaps of the tent opened but the surprise turned to dread when she saw a beaten man stagger in. Blood stained the carpet and turned everything to a deep red. "The Roman's have won," was the only words he could whisper before he fell onto the fur, unmoving. Sakura knew what had happened even before the two daughters of the queen gasped and started sobbing.

Sakura stood up and said, "I'm going out." Her tone left no room for questions. "Get out of here while you still can and tend to him if you can," she pointed at the injured man before she left. Her cloak flew up as the breeze hit it head on. There was a sudden glint as Sakura caught the diamond blades. She walked deeper into the woods in the direction the army had gone. Not long after, she started smelling the foul scent of spilled blood and gore.

She caught sight of bodies strewn across the ground with various weapons impaling them. Some of the men she recognized, the others she didn't. Sakura ignored them, only keeping eyes out for her target. Her search became more frantic when darkness started to cover the forest. Soon, the light would be gone and all hopes of finding the queen would disappear.

Sakura stopped when her sharp ears caught heavy breathing. Cautiously, she walked towards the source and hid behind a tree. She peered around it and her eyes widened when she saw the scene. Boudica stood in a clearing but that wasn't what caused the shock. Countless bodies lay around her. All of them were enemies. In the queen's hand was her sword and a shield lay in the other. But the Celtic warrior did not come out unharmed. She had scratches all over her body, every one of them bleeding. They would quickly become septic if not treated soon. Without delay, she rushed forward to the queen. She was met with a sword pointing at her and a breathless queen glaring at her.

"You!" she gasped when she recognized Sakura. She immediately withdrew her weapon and fell forward into the woman's arms. Only then did Sakura realize the extent of her wounds and they were really bad. She was about to start tending to the wounds when she heard footsteps approaching from the distant. Her head snapped up to the sound. "Romans," whispered Boudica, trying to stand on her own. Sakura wouldn't let her and started dragging her towards the coverage of the trees.

"We need to hide," commanded Sakura.

"My children," protested Boudica, trying to walk back towards the camp.

Sakura refused to let her, "I've told your daughters to leave. I'm sure they were smart enough to heed my warnings. They should be gone by now," said Sakura, forcing her to walk in the opposite direction. Either the queen believed her, or did not have enough energy to argue because she complied with Sakura's dragging.

It was really dark now so Sakura truly believed it was safe when stopped after walking for over half an hour. Boudica slid down a tree and used the trunk as support, her breathing labored and short. "I will tend to your wounds," said Sakura, ripping her cloak and wrapped it around the largest injury. She wrapped it around tightly to stop the blood from running out. She frowned when the cloth absorbed the blood and started to leak. Sakura ripped the cloth off the queen's arm and was about to redress the wound when—

"There you are!"

Sakura whirled around to see more enemy soldiers behind them. **_How did they find us? It's pitch black! _**She looked onto the ground and even she could not miss the heavy blood trail from Boudica's wounds. **_Shit!_**

There were at least ten Roman soldiers surrounding them all with disgusting grins on their faces. "Guess I have no choice," muttered Sakura, blades dropping into her palms. She clenched her fingers around them and positioned herself into a fighting stance. Like before, the warriors seemed perplexed by her sudden actions. They, as a result, burst into laughter.

"I can't believe it, this woman thinks she can handle us!"

Sakura's eyes narrowed and before the man could say anymore, his neck was slit open. He gurgled and blood ran out of his mouth before he fell onto the ground to say no more. His companions looked shocked but immediately brandished their weapons at her. Sakura's eyes were now huge and her pupils had diluted. She was about to destroy them all when a growl that echoed around the trees made her halt in her steps. The soldiers too stopped in their tracks and looked around, searching for the source.

"What was that?" asked one shakily. Another growl but it was closer now. Due to the darkness, no one could see anything but they could sure see the blood spurting out of a man as he was attacked by a flurry of black. Sakura stumbled back to protect the weak Boudica and crouched down by her, ready to attack whatever was killing off the Romans.

Soon enough, all the men were dead despite their efforts to protect themselves. Their weapons seemed to have affect against the beast. Sakura felt her heart beating faster as the creature approached her with a fixed pace. Bringing her knives even closer to her, she faced whatever the beast was and gaped when her vision adjusted so she could see what was in front of her.

A wolf.

But it was no ordinary wolf and Sakura could see that for it had red eyes. She knew those crimson orbs anywhere. It was Sasuke. She wanted to whisper his name and throw her arms around him but Boudica was still here so she restrained herself. She shuddered when she saw the same expression from before in those red eyes. The wolf seemed to be distant, worried and most of all—sad.

She couldn't do anything as the wolf moved forward and poked its snout into her hair. Had he been in his human form, the deity would have sniffed in the scent of her hair and kiss her. But due to his wolf form, all he did was touch his nose with hers before running off into the night. Sakura jolted up and was about to run after him when the current predicament came back to her.

She turned around to tend to the injured queen and almost dropped her blades when she saw the queen down as vial of something that could not be healthy. Sakura gulped when she realized what it was; poison. "What did you do?" screamed Sakura, rushing over and ripping the vial away from her.

The queen smiled weakly, "More Romans are approaching and I refuse to be taken as a prisoner by them." Sakura felt liquid build up on her waterline and Boudica raised up a hand to wipe the tears away. "Don't cry. It would be best foryou to get away." Sakura shook her head, not wanting to leave the queen all alone to die. The woman with flaming hair laughed weakly before bringing her hand up to her chest and ripping something away from her cloak. It was too dark to see what she pushed in Sakura's hands before her breathing became weaker and weaker.

Sakura looked at her hand and jumped when she felt a familiar sensation run through her body. The object couldn't be seen due to the shadows bursting out of the golden brooch and wrapping around her hand. Sakura looked at Boudica but the queen had to surprise in her eyes, just peace.

Sakura reached out to the queen as the tendrils covered her and Boudica gave one last laugh before closing her eyes—forever.

"BOUDICA!"

* * *

It was cold when Sakura arrived back in Nihilum, abnormally cold. She was use to the natural cold the cave emitted but it was eerily cold now; and it seemed somewhat darker than usual. Green eyes looked around for the time God, but he was nowhere to be seen. Sakura was not disturbed by his actions. It was not the first time he had left Nihilum without her.

She ignored it. She refused to address the fact that the Celtic queen had died. **_She was going to die anyway so what was the point of moping? _**Sakura staggered around the cave, looking for a certain book so she could relieve herself on the burning object in her hand.

Right now, Sakura Haruno was not mentally stable—and she knew it. Sitting herself on the bed, she closed her eyes, relaxed her palm and evened out her breathing. She completely cleared her mind and minutes after, she had returned to normal. It was a trick Naruto had taught her when she was younger, how to return to a stable state of mind. The blonde had generated the method himself; after all, believing you had a demon fox inside required the constant use of meditation.

Although the diamonds radiated enough light to see that her pink hair had returned, it just seemed less bright when Sasuke wasn't around. Sakura spotted the book of time on the bed and picked it up, flicking the pages until she searched the one she desired; the antepenultimate blank page. She laid the gold brooch on the page, watching fondly as the white light enveloped the object. She routinely shut her eyes to avoid the blinding from the brightness.

She opened her eyes to stare at the sketch of not just a brooch; it was memories that she saw. She flicked through the previous pages and smiled sadly at all the memories. She had just reached the first page when a cold shiver ran through her. It halted her from doing anything and she froze and the book fell from her hands; she didn't even hear it hit the floor. The woman swallowed the lump in her throat and her eyes widened. **_Oh god... He's not coming back is he...? I can feel it. _**

Now she knew why it was so cold, why it was darker than before, why that wolf had that look in his eyes as he sprinted away from her in the forest. He was saying farewell. He wasn't coming back. Desperately, she ran towards the marbled wall. She was inwardly begging that he would be there with that cocky smirk on his face, ready to tease her. He wasn't. She had known, she could see the subtle signs no matter how well he hid it. It was the same when her parents had abandoned her. **_He's gone..._**

She sob she had been holding back broke through and she sank down onto the floor; head in hands. She sobbed into her hands; tears pouring down her face. She felt sick, that nauseating feeling in her stomach had returned. God, she wanted to throw up but there was nothing in there. Part of her was still hoping that he would suddenly appear and mercilessly mock her. She didn't care. All she wanted was to hear his voice, to feel his fingers on her skin. Sakura admitted that she had fallen in love with the deity but it was too late, because Sasuke was gone and never to come back.

Her fingers scratched the ground, looking for some sort of stress relief. She halted when her fingers touched something that was nowhere near in comforting her. Slowly and reluctantly, she looked at the book of time and almost started again. When the book had slipped through her grasp, it had moved to the next blank page—which her fingers were currently sitting on.

Had Sasuke been here, he could have prevented the shadows from crawling up her arm but he wasn't here. She tried to run, tried to rip the darkness from her body but it paid her no heed. It continued enveloping her body until she was completely covered and she was gone, only her scream echoed through the empty cave called Nihilum.

The book of time innocently lay on the floor, open at the third last page waiting for chaos to reign again.

Her eyes were open even before she could see again. She hadn't closed her eyes for the whole time. Despite that, it was no use; she couldn't see through the darkness. Her tears had long since dried out but she still had the sickening feeling in her navel. **_No! I will not be like this! I will find Sasuke and kill him then I will hear his explanation and if it's a bad one, I'll kill him again. _**

So, with newfound determination, the rosette prepared herself for what was tocome. **_Wait! I still have pink hair? _**Without a doubt, her hair was still bubblegum pink and didn't show any signs of changing. She didn't know if she should feel relieved or completely freaked out. The last thing she wanted was to arrive in a civilization when they would burn her for having strangely colored hair.

Hence when she opened her eyes, she didn't know whether you should be happy or worried that there was debris everywhere. Then it dawned on her that she was back in her time because she saw cars that definitely did not come from the Victorian era. But what scared was that everything was destroyed. Nothing lay untouched; cars were tipped upside down, buildings had fallen and there was nothing working in sight. Sakura cautiously stepped around to try and find bearings but was unsuccessful.

The rosette looked up to see a gray sky with smoke billowing through the air. Luckily it didn't reach down to her or she would have hacking her lungs up. Ignoring her senses that screamed at her to retreat, she continued forwards. **_I don't even know how to return to Nihilum without the object. Jesus, there's nobody here. Who the hell am I suppose to find?_**

She passed by a smashed up Mercedes—or ex-Mercedes. She walked down to the end of the road to see a digital clock protruding from a would-be shop. Its flickering neon lights stated it was 2:09PM. Sakura had no idea if it was correct, looking at the wires coming out of the wall dubiously. She squinted when she saw small text underneath time and stood on her tiptoes to get a better look. The color drained from her face, her eyes widened and she couldn't even swallow the lump in her throat.

She looked around her, eyes growing even wider in realization. She could now explain the feeling in her stomach. She was back home, in Japan. Except this wasn't really what she could call home. The vivid lights on the screen flickered on last time before fading forever but Sakura could never forget what she saw.

The time: 2:09PM.

The day: Monday.

The month: January.

The year: 2050.

This was the future on Earth. The apocalypse had finally begun.

**_Sasuke, what have you done?_**

_..._

* * *

**YAY!**

**Completion is satisfactory! **

**Dun dun dun! Sasuke is gone and Sakura is back in Japan but only in the future. And for those who don't really understand, Sakura is insane but not all the time. Naruto—who was her mentor, brother and friend—was also insane and believed he had a demon inside him. He probably egged her on with her insanity. It's up to you to decide. **

**Only two more chapters until the end! Hope you last until then.**


	8. Running Out of Time

**Hello!**

**I am proud to say that this fanfic is almost over! I hope you enjoyed it and continue to read until the final chapter. **

**I will start working on 'City of Black and White' after I complete this fanfic so you're welcome to check that out! **

**Was watching La Corda d'Oro again! I was wondering what happened to all the good anime from the past such as InuYasha, Naruto, One Piece, etc. Now all the animes are about big boobs. It is such a shame. **

**I'm gone down with a cold, which I somehow managed to catch in Beijing yet none of my classmates caught it. When I find the host who passed it on, I will hunt him/her down.**

**Missed two days of school and have gone through three boxes of tissues. My nose hurts from all the tissues and my tongue is white with that paste that you get when you're sick. **

**Oh well, this is a good use of time to write though. No need to lie in bed doing nothing, which I did yesterday... :D**

**Credits:  
Nonumaru: For proofreading.**

**Disclaimer:  
I do not own Naruto.**

**Location:  
Japan, 2500**

**Summary:  
It has happened, the apocalypse has taken place. Sasuke watches as Sakura wanders around the place that was previously known as Japan. 488 years have passed since Sakura last saw it. But, this is another place where Sakura has to find an object. Then she wonders will Chaos really rise when the book is full?**

**_Thoughts_**

* * *

Time Is Running Out: Chapter 7: Running Out of Time

It was absolute bedlam.

Sakura kept repeating that phrase as she walked around the country previously known as Japan. There were places she recognized, places she thought she recognized and places that were beyond recognition.

But the strange thing was that there was nobody around, absolutely nobody. It was a deserted country. Sakura furrowed her brows when she found no evidence of anybody, not even a body. **_No one could have been killed here, there would have been remnants of their bodies but it's just empty. What was capable of making them disappear just like that?_**

She passed what must have been a bus stop and stared at the words on the sign. Her eyes widened when she remembered the day she had first met Sasuke. She had been walking by this bus stop when she had overheard the group of girls insulting her needlessly.

She passed the ally she had lured that girl in, glancing at it with cold eyes. **_She deserved what she got. _**Had she gone into the abandoned ally, she might have spotted red eyes spying on her as she walked past.

Having no idea where she was going, Sakura let her instincts and feet guide her. It was completely silent apart from her shoes scraping on debris. She seemed to be walking into a complex of houses with the same design. Her fingers lazily brushed against the metal bars of the gates. She then ran her fingers over a nameplate stuck on the house and halted when felt familiar characters under her touch. Stiffly, she turned to look at her metal characters stuck on the wall. **_Oh no..._**

春

野

Haruno.

It was her family name.

When her parents had cast her out, she had never bothered to change her last name. Her family lives in the rich part of the city, she stayed within the shadows. Before, she doubted her parents knew their daughter had stayed in the city, probably believing her to move into the rural parts of Japan where she could easily earn money.

Sakura couldn't resist the temptation. She walked up to the familiar door and pushed it open with ease. The lock had broken causing the door to creak as she walked in. It was dark and a musty smell met her nose due to years of lack of maintenance.

It hadn't changed at all, Sakura could tell. It was the same wallpaper, the same furniture; it was the same before she had left. Nothing bothering to look around, she went straight up the stairs to her old room. She was careful when going up the stairs, knowing they could break in anytime soon.

She was wrong. Things had changed. Her room was bare. The wallpaper had been scrapped off and there was no furniture in the room. Her window had been boarded over, light seeping through the cracks. The only thing that was left was a wooden wardrobe that her parents left undisturbed. Cautiously, she pulled the door open and wasn't surprised when she found nothing.

Stepping inside, her foot hit something and she looked down to see a small box. Not knowing what it contained, she picked it up and slid the lid off it. She felt something build up in her front when she saw the contents. They were pictures of her younger self, memories when she still lived in harmony with her parents. Sakura shuffled through the photos, looking at some more fondly than others. When she saw the final picture before she had left, tears ran down her face. Certain nobody was spying on her, she broke down for the first time in so many years.

Sakura fell onto the floor and clutched onto the wardrobe for support. She cried out, her voice wailing out to the empty room. She cried for parents, she cried for Naruto, she cried for Sasuke and she cried for herself. She cradled her head in her arms and was oblivious to crimson eyes staring at her. She had no conscious of silent figure standing in the corner of the room. Something caught his eye from outside and he gritted his teeth in frustration. Giving one last silent sigh, the silhouette vanished without a trace.

Through the blurriness of her tears, she spotted something 3D in the box. She was about determine what it was when she felt a chill run over her body. Then she heard it, the groaning. It sounded like many voices mixed together, crying and moaning for something. Sakura slowly stood up and moved over to the boarded window. Peeking through one of the many gaps, she gasped when she saw the ruckus in the street below.

Beings—no she couldn't even call them that. They were more like corpses. Whatever they were, they slowly stumbled across the street without a definite reason. Some of them strayed from the group and entered houses without doors. Sakura leaned further into the shadows, careful not to make a sound. **_What are those things? They're definitely not alive... Are they zombies? What is going on here? Is this why everybody disappeared? Everybody became zombies? _**

Without thinking, she leaned forwards to get a closer look and the plank her hand had been resting on broke under the pressure. Despite the zombies lacking a conscious, even they could not miss the sound as the board hit the ground below. They turned to the noise, finally sensing the fresh meat hiding in the building. Even if Sakura tried to hide, she could not stop the walking corpses from walking in her ex-house. **_I'm going to have to run for it! Shit!_**

Abandoning the wooden box in the wardrobe, she raised her legs and smashed through the remaining boards. Satisfied when she heard them falling away, she placed a hand on the ledge and jumped out of the window. She spotted the beings as she fell, cringing when she saw how empty they were. They showed no emotion, organs were missing and they walked with no proper sense of purpose. She didn't even know if they wanted her flesh or that was just a stereotype. Not bothering to find out, she ran.

Sakura didn't know where she was going but she ran in the opposite direction. She didn't look back to see if they were following, she just ran. If anything, she was very good at running. The woman bounded over rubble and dodged debris as if the hottest flames from Hell were licking at her heels.

Looking for a suitable place to hide, she ran faster when she saw a large concrete building still in tact. The fact that none of its windows were smashed in and the large metal door still holding strong. Along with no signs of infection reaching it, calmed Sakura down just a bit. Wondering how she would get it without giving an opening for the zombies, she smirked when she saw a small vent someway up the grey building. From the outside, it liked a factory of some sort, or maybe a highly research center.

Hearing the moaning close in, Sakura wasted no time in digging her blades into the material and pulling herself up. She couldn't resist the temptation of looking down and instantly regretted it. They had crowded below her, just waiting for her to make a mistake and fall. Feeling the adrenaline rushing through her veins, she stabbed her weapon brutally into the cement. She was puffing by the time she reached the vent; putting her legs in first, she gave one last look at the zombies before disappearing into darkness.

She plummeted downhill.

Sakura held her scream it, not wanting to attract attention incase the creatures had somehow made it inside. She braced herself for the landing, expecting a hard one. She was right. She shot out of the tube, smashing through the grilled plating and onto a smooth metal floor. The rosette rolled so the momentum would be absorbed instead of injuring her in the process. A groan left her lips as she came to a halt, her brain becoming jumbled. **_That's worse than the worst roller coaster I have ever been on... I'll happily choose the zombies next time... _**

It was still dark in the room but her vision soon adjusted. It was a standard size room, it looked life an office. There was a desk pushed up against the wall with papers everywhere. Sakura felt something under her foot and looked down, it was a journal. Picking up with interest, she found the last page that had been written on.

_31st October 2050_

_It's happened._

_The apocalypse has finally happened._

_I am ashamed to admit that we are at fault for this. Meddling with nuclear weapons illegally, what should we have expected? Now the Earth in dying, it's rotting away. We are being eaten away, turned into living corpses, turned into zombies. _

_They don't seem to have a mind for themselves but we do know one thing—they crave for our flesh. They transmit the disease through biting. Their saliva must be like poison. I don't know what components of our experiment made them, but I do know one thing..._

_If you are reading this, it is likely that you're the last survivor of this mess. I'll tell you now, if you wish to destroy these things, the only way is to start anew. _

_Absolute destruction._

_In this lab, there is something that will help you destroy this place. I don't know if you'll survive but anything's better than right now. Go to the experimenting room, I have installed a self-destruct program as powerful as the meteor that destroyed the Cretaceous period. _

_Whoever reads this has my thanks from the bottom of my heart. I have lost too much. I no longer have the motivation to do what I leave in your hands. _

_Kakashi Hatake_

Sakura stared with wide eyes. "Are you serious?" she mumbled to herself, "I always knew this Earth would die because of mankind but I never expected this..." **_This apocalypse has been going for over four hundred years already... _**She shut the journal and dropped it on the table. Collapsing on the chair, she placed her head in her arms. "This is too much, I can't do this!" Biting her lip to stop herself from crying, she stared at the blank wall in front of her. "I hate you!" she whispered to the darkness, "I HATE YOU!" A tremendous crash occurred when Sakura threw her chair at the wall. Panting with anger in her eyes, she gritted her teeth. "I hate you," she repeated, not noticing the tears that had escaped her guarded eyes. "I hate you," she said once more before sinking to her knees.

Creak.

Sakura's head shot up and held her breath, listening to the silence.

Creak.

There it was again, that sound.

Creak.

And again but it was getting closer. Sakura sat petrified. Her motivation was no longer there. She had been drained of energy.

Creak.

She was so scared that she never noticed the same pair of red eyes from the corner of the room. They stared at her sadly, urging her to move.

Creak.

It was so close now it was almost deafening despite it being almost non-existent.

Creak.

_Sakura._

She bolted, running towards the door and slamming it open. She did not need to look to see the hoards of corpses coming down from the hall. **_How did they get in? It was sealed! _**Wasting no energy for an answer, she ran down the hall, looking for a room she could hide it. Skidding to a halt when she saw the zombies coming from both ends, she frantically looked for an escape option. When she saw none, her flight or fight instincts chose the latter and she pulled out her weapons once again. **_They can only change a human by biting them, so I need to keep their mouths away from me. If I can't find an escape path, then I'll make one! _**

So she danced.

Sakura slid gracefully through the reanimated beings, slashing them down as she went. She was beautiful even as blood splattered on her face and clothes. Not wasting a second, each movement had a purpose whether it was to lop a head off or to defend herself from their venom.

Her heart leapt when she saw a door saying 'Experiment Lab' and 'Do Not Enter', she wasted no time making her way towards it. Almost everything had been cut down but she knew they would get back up. Seeing a clear path, she put down her arms and ran, knowing the door would be locked; she gained momentum and threw a blade into the lock. Breaking it, she retrieved the knife and pushed the double doors closed, pressing her back against it. Looking for something to keep the doors shut, her eyes brightened when she saw a bulky looking file cabinet against the wall. Confident in having enough time, she rushed over and started pushing the cabinet using her whole body. It was very heavy and difficult to move. **_There's no way they can get past this. _**

Sakura was breathing heavily, "Been a long time since I had to consume this much energy." Setting her hands on her hips, she took in her surroundings for the first time. She was right in choosing this door. A massive screen sat before her, a panel of buttons below it.

_Go to the experimenting room, I have installed a self-destruct program as powerful as the meteor that destroyed the Cretaceous period._

"This has got to be it," said Sakura as she walked over to the dashboard. "Problem is," she pondered to herself, "how do I activate the program?" There were no instructions so Sakura did the next best thing—she started pressing everything. Leaving no buttons or lever unattended, the machine soon whirled to life. What she _didn't _expect was a self-destruct message to appear on the screen with a countdown next to it, decreasing fast.

Ten minutes.

**_Wait, what!? _**

"Oh shit! I have to get out of here!"

Desperately looking for a vent to escape from, she almost squealed when she found one just above the computer.**_ There's no way I'm going back through the doors._** **_They've probably been resurrected already. _**Using various pipes to climb up to her desired location, the sliced through the screws and watched as the metal grill fell and clashed on the floor.

Nine minutes.

Making sure to be as quiet as possible, Sakura started crawling through the vents. Using her honed senses to feel the fresh air, she made her way towards her exit. It wasn't long until she saw light filter in through another grill. She peeked through the gaps this time and when she saw no creepy zombies in sight, she used her blades to unscrew the grill. Clamping her fingers around it so it didn't fall and make a sound that would surely attract attention, Sakura carefully slid the metal into the vent and placed in next to her. Peering over the edge, she saw that it was a sheer drop to the ground.

Eight minutes.

**_What do I have to lose?_**

She winced when she heard the sounds her blades made as the dug into the cement as she slid down. Urging gravity to pull her down faster, she wasted no time pulling her weapons out and running to where her salvation would be—her old house.

Seven minutes.

Leaning on the side of stealth this time, she was quiet with her entrance. When she smelled none of the rotten odor the zombies gave off, she decided it was safe to go back to the wardrobe. Praying that the box was still there, she bit her hand to stop sounds of relief coming out of her mouth when the wooden box lay exactly where it had been before she had bolted.

Six minutes.

Dropping to her knees, Sakura slid the lid off and was about to dig through the pictures when—

Creak.

"FUCK!"

**_How did they find us? I made sure I was quiet!_**

Five minutes.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the zombies appearing, walking directly towards the house. Dashing down the stairs, she avoided the front door and ran towards what seemed to be the garage. **_They'll be outside nonetheless, what do I do?_**

Her answer was right next to her. A bright red Ferrari silently stood, it's exterior still sleek and shiny. Almost crying when the door opened without the use of keys, her luck doubled when she saw the keys on the passenger seat. Her conscious screamed at her, telling her to stop having never driven a car before. **_It's either this or them... _**She jammed the keys into the hole and the engine roared to life.

Knowing the basics and hoping there was enough gas, she pushed down the accelerator and jolted back when the car suddenly moved. She couldn't and didn't attempt to stop the car crashing through the closed metal shutter. Not caring as debris flew around her, she kept her foot on the pedal. The rosette thought about putting on her seatbelt before discarding the idea. **_Might need to escape if I crash._** In between her legs was the box she had grabbed from earlier. **_I just need to get a safe distance before opening this box. If the object isn't in it, I need to survive the blast._**

Four minutes.

Blood splattered on the windscreen as she pummeled through zombie after zombie. Considering her lack of experience when it came to driving, she did an exceptionally good job missing cars and buildings. She glanced at the digital clock on the dashboard. Every second that passed made her heart beat faster and faster.

Three minutes.

She knew she was leaving the city, the amount of houses she saw was decreasing rapidly. It wouldn't be long until she was out of range of the blast. She shivered over the thought of having to go back into Tokyo. She looked in the rear-view mirror, cringing when the rear window screen was covered in red rearing her unable to see through it. Gritting her teeth, she focused back on the road, seeing a highway approaching.

Two minutes.

She had to know if she was in range of the factory or not. Using a wing mirror, she pressed even harder on the accelerator when she still saw the grey building in sight. She didn't know how far the explosion would go but she had to be a sufficient distance away.

One minute.

She knew she didn't have long left, but time moved differently when you were in a fatal situation.

Ten seconds.

Just a little further.

Nine Seconds.

It should be any second now.

Eight seconds.

**_I've got to open the box soon._**

Seven seconds.

She moved her foot to the break and pressed down hard. She was prepared this time for the sudden jolt.

Six seconds.

She looked at the wing mirror again, swearing when the grey building was still in sight. **_Why won't it disappear?_**

Five seconds.

**_I've got to open it now._**

Four seconds.

Sliding the lid of the box, Sakura threw the pictures to her side and stifled her gasp when she saw what was at the bottom.

Three seconds.

It was an old doll given to her by a stranger when she was younger. She had gone shopping with her mother and had gotten separated in the tall aisles. Too scared to move, she had started crying. She had shied away from everyone who tried to help her apart from one man. He had not spoken a word but merely passed her a doll with sewed on eyes and smile but it made her smile. By then she had heard her mother's voice and when she turned to look for the stranger, he had gone. But now, she realized who those dark eyes belonged to.

Two seconds.

Reaching out a hand, she undoubtedly started crying when she finally touched the memory. She now knew he was there, watching over her. Even if he wasn't there physically, she felt his presence—and that was enough to keep the warm feeling in her heart.

One second.

She didn't even notice the blast as the shadows wrapped around her body. Even as the world entered oblivion, she never felt the burning flames reach her skin. In an instant, she had disappeared from the world she once called home.

_The next time we meet will be the last one, Sakura._

* * *

**Yay, another completed chapter. **

**I'm almost done! This story is almost finished, and then I've got another story to work on. Ai ya! **

**If anyone knows a really good Asian drama, please tell me. Trust me, I've seen a lot of them. **

**And remember, review because they make me happy and we want people to be happy don't we?**


	9. The Beginning of Time

**OMG! **

**One more week of school then I'm free—until next year... Then it gets really tough. I'm hoping to finish this story before the holidays and 'City of Black and White' during the summer. Then I can focus on my anthologies. I'm also engrossing myself in dramas one again. **

**On Sunday, this family is coming over and their daughter ditched me at her own party once. It was this bonfire party and I didn't know anyone and under her mum's influence, she invited me to join her friends. Five seconds later, they left—thank goodness there was another girl being left out as well. But I have to act nice to her tomorrow? My mum's like "there were so many people at the party. Just be nice to her blah, blah, blah..." Seriously? **

**Since this is my last chapter, I would like to thank all the people who reviewed, favorite and followed or just clicked on the link, it means a lot to me. I've been on this site for a couple of years now and I can say it's been the best years so far. It's so much fun to post your own original ideas about your favorite characters!**

**So without further ado, on with the final chapter. I would also like to thank my beta. She's so awesome. My stories would have never been as good without her.**

**Credits:  
Nonumaru: For proofreading.**

**Disclaimer:  
I do not own Naruto.**

**Location:  
Nihilum**

**Summary:  
Sakura is taken back to Nihilum and still no Sasuke. She touches the last page and is taken to the beginning of time. There, Sasuke is waiting for her. There, she has to find the last remaining object and when she does find it, she regrets it. What shall she do? If she does touch the last object, chaos will reign again.**

**_Thoughts _**

* * *

Time Is Running Out: Chapter 8: The Beginning of Time

When cold hit her skin, Sakura knew she was back in Nihilum. But it was unnaturally cold hence her belief that Sasuke had not returned. She was scared to reach the book, scared to flip to the penultimate page, scared to place the withered doll on the empty space.

Sakura's heart jumped up and down as the light blinded her eyes. She traced her fingers over the drawing, smiling sadly at the picture. And most of all, she was scared of turning to the last page. But when she remembered the doll _he _gave her, the moments she had with him that were now memories, she felt the dread in her disappear.

However she started wondering if it was a good idea touching the blank page without preparation. But there was no turning back for her and Sakura refused to turn back. As soon as they went, the shadows came back to envelop her arm then all the way around her body.

As the shadows faded away with their hostage, a figure materialized into Nihilum, glancing once at the book before disappearing again.

Green eyes opened to a hazy mist whimpering throughout the air. There were massive holes in the earth. The mountains ran across the land, undisturbed by manmade features. She looked around and almost fell into a giant hole next to her, steadying herself she looked around for something to grab onto—there was nothing. No trees, no animals, no water, there was nothing.

Looking up, she saw that the sky was just as obscure as the air. It was smoky but not manmade smoke, not the pollution made in factories. It didn't take long for Sakura to realize where she was. A place with no life had to be _that. _The rosette would have stamped her foot but she was afraid the ground would break under her. **_Why? You have got to be kidding me, why this place? _**Without flora or fauna, this place had to be it. It was the earth at the beginning of its history.

Her heart started thumping against her chest, like a madman trying to escape the asylum. However the woman's face was composed as ever. **_I have to stay calm or el— _**Sakura jumped when she felt something tap her shoulder. Knowing nothing was alive, she was hesitant about turning to face the unknown but she had a feeling of who it was. The familiar smell and aura alerted her immediately that it was her love_. _

She could not be anymore correct as she met onyx eyes staring deep into her soul. Her stance still demanded respect but there was something in his eyes that was different—no, something that had been deeply hidden for a long time. Sakura stared back, unable to form words; he didn't try and break the silence either.

"Sakura," said woman shivered at his deep voice, she had forgotten how much power his voice alone held.

"Sasuke," she replied not knowing what else to say at a time like this. "Is this...?" He nodded, answering her silent question. "I see," whispered the rosette, her voice quiet and shaky. Silence rules the air once more, having run out of excuses to talk. Sasuke did not apologize and Sakura knew it, he was too proud of a man to do so.

So he did the next best thing but also the cruelest thing someone could ever do. He said, "I love you." Sakura clasped her hand to her mouth as she cried in joy, a smiling hugging her face. She moved to do the same, to embrace him. But little did she know she was about to invoke her own pain, to touch him would be the end, because it was—literally.

She should have been more careful, should have been more perceptive. Sasuke was also not the type to convey his feelings out loud. So it shouldn't have been a surprise when as soon as she touched him, chaos began.

Dark tendrils slid down his arm, onto hers and started wrapping themselves around her. Sakura stood still, horror plastered on her face. She knew what these shadows were. How many times had they enveloped her in darkness, she had forgotten but she could never forget what the darkness meant.

Sasuke was to fill the final page.

"NO!"

Sakura tried everything but the shadows still clung to her skin like butter to bread. Becoming desperate, with her free hand she brought down a blade aiming straight for her skin. **_They can't stick to me if there's nothing there! _**A scream of frustration left her lips when a hand intercepted her attack. Glaring into the god's eyes, she tried to pull away. "Let go of me Sasuke!" When he didn't reply, she screamed at him. " LET GO OF ME NOW!" Still the man refused to release her. Her rage turned to fear as she shadows started covering the final corners of her skin. "Please let go," she begged, "Please."

Just as darkness overwhelmed her vision, she still heard him.

"Goodbye, Sakura Haruno."

* * *

"No, no, no, no, no."

Sakura knew she was back in Nihilum the instant she arrived. But she ignored everything, searching frantically for Sasuke. When he was nowhere to be found, she collapsed onto the floor. The rosette wept in sadness, "Sasuke! Don't leave me!"

Cold struck every nerve in her body as she picked up the harmless looking book lying on the ground next to her. Rapidly searching through the pages, a sound of despair left her throat when she saw that the final page was…

Blank…

Sakura knew better, the nothingness was not a sign that Sasuke was still there. It was a symbol of him. He is time, which cannot be measured. Seconds, minutes, hours, they all meant nothing to her. That's why it was blank, because he was nothing. Time is not seeable, so the page remained empty but she felt him. The rosette felt him through the book of time. He _was_ there.

Falling onto the floor, Sakura cried like never before. She hadn't cried this hard since Naruto's death. **_Why does everyone leave me in the end? My parents, Naruto and even you Sasuke... No, it was more than that. Everybody I met eventually left the earth without the proper reason. _**

In the end, Adolf Hitler still committed suicide.

The flames vanquished God's angel.

The last queen had to die to be with her love.

Mary Jane Kelly's final moments were in fear.

The Boleyn girl was condemned even though she was innocent.

The Celtic warrior had fallen before her time was up.

And worst of all, Sakura had failed to save Sasuke.

Sakura lay on the floor, drained of energy. She could not move, her body felt limp and heavy on the cold floor.

_Chaos will reign again._

His words echoed across her mind. **_What does he mean? Will chaos reign again? War? Did he mean the apocalypse? _**She hadn't thought about it before, distracted by Sasuke's enchanting words and the thrill of where she went. Then it struck her, where could she go now? Nihilum was a closed system, it did not have any openings and the only way out for her would be through the book. But the book was completed. However, it saw no need for her to leave. "I'm stuck here forever?" she mumbled to herself, not matching her expression to her words at all. "It doesn't matter," she giggled to herself, the darker side of her unraveling. "I can just stay here, I'm fine," she told herself, a smile gracing her face all the way. But the smile was not of happiness. It was of insanity.

_Sakura._

"I don't need anybody else, just me."

_Are you an idiot?_

Sakura gasped, the shock pulling her back onto the edge again. **_His voice, it sounded so real. _**

_That's because I am real._

She looked around, but his body was to be seen nowhere. Sighing in defeat, she closed her eyes again. **_I knew it was too good to be true._**

_Had I not been real Sakura, you would have fallen over the edge ages ago. You know I'm still here. Call for me and I'll be with you again._

She couldn't resist it any longer. She needed him _now. _

"Sasuke."

And when she opened her eyes again, he was there, right in front of her. Believing she was hallucinating, she rubbed her eyes until she saw stars. A tear dropped from her eyes as she heard him chuckle. Warmth pressed onto her cheeks and she knew he was really there. **_There's no way I can replicate his warmth. But..._**

"How...?" she pondered aloud, "The book..." He chuckled again and she almost laughed at his trademark smirk.

Sasuke knelt next to her, "I'm the beginning of _everything._I won't be controlled by a book _I _made."

"But chaos—"

"Will reign again, I _am _chaos—I am here again."

Pressing a hand to her mouth, Sakura started crying. Burying her face into his torso, she grasped onto him, refusing to let go. There was nothing stopping her this time, no shadows threatening to separate them, there was no boundaries.

"Come with me, Sakura. We can forget about the book, I won't leave again."

Unable to answer verbally, she nodded in his soaked garments. Gripping onto him tighter, she kept nodding. She wouldn't have stopped if Sasuke hadn't pulled away just to press his lips against hers. As she kissed him, all the memories came back to her, and that's when she realized she had never lost anybody. They might have not been here physically but they would forever. They would remain in her memories and heart.

_Fräulein, meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me._

_May God look over you._

_You truly are a descendent of the gods._

_As I died, thinking about you brought me peace._

_Do not be sad, I am free now._

_You would have made a brilliant iron queen._

And best of all, the man holding her in his arms would forever hold her and never let go.

_I love you, Sakura Haruno._

* * *

There was not a single cloud in the sky as the sound of laughing children echoed across the green mountains. The gigging group tossed a ball to each other, smiles gracing all their faces. The sun splashed onto their cheery faces as they screamed for the toy, raising their hands in excitement. They were so engrossed in their game. Nobody spotted the two figures lying in the patch of green, staring at the flawless sky.

"A thousand years, huh?"

"Hn."

"It's been a long time and yet you still can't say more than one word."

"Hn."

"Honestly Sasuke, what's the point in making me immortal if you don't want to speak to me?"

"Hn."

"Sasuke Uchiha, if you say that one more time. I _will _kill you."

_"Hn."_

"That's it! You are going to di—"

"No matter how good you are with the blades Sakura, you will never beat me."

"Want to bet on that?"

"Betting requires the risk of winning as well as losing. I will never have the chance of gaining the latter."

"You arrogant piece of—Mmmmph!"

"..."

"You cannot just kiss me like that."

"Hn, just did."

"It's not fair."

"You've been living for a long time Sakura, haven't you learnt that life's not fair?"

"You're a god, you get your way."

"You're not a deity so you still have to face karma."

"What? Do you know karma personally? Well you call tell him or her to stop bugging me."

"No chances."

"Why not?"

"Hn."

"SASUKE! Mmmph!"

"..."

"YOU CAN'T JUST KISS ME LIKE THAT!"

"Hn, I just did."

_For us, time will never run out. It's just the beginning._

* * *

**I cannot believe it!**

**I have finished 'Time Is Running Out'! YAY! I'M SO HAPPY!**

**Hope you liked the ending, Sakura's now immortal if you didn't catch on. It's been hard work and I hoped you enjoyed it. **

**Thanks to Nonumaru for beta-ing all this time. Must be difficult to deal with my too-often mistakes in grammar! Thanks for putting up with me Nonu~!**

**If you liked this story, feel free to check out my next story, (City of Black and White) which I have started. However, it was put on hiatus so I could complete this story. Should have the next chapter out soon since I have completed it but withheld due to this story. **

**If you enjoyed this fanfic, please say so in the reviews and once again, thank you for taking the time to read it and put up with my laziness. **

**See you soon!**

**Ciao!**


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